Changes
by RosesandThorns666
Summary: Sequel to "Secrets". Things are tense between our couple as a rise in Foot and Purple Dragon activity is keeping Raphael busy on patrol and in training. But, when Raphael takes a big step to commit to his partner, maybe things can start changing for the better. Please R&R!
1. Neglected

**Summary:** Sequel to "Secrets". Things are tense between our couple as a rise in Foot and Purple Dragon activity is keeping Raphael busy on patrol and in training. But, when Raphael takes a big step to commit to his partner, maybe things can start changing for the better. Please R&R!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N (Please read for important info!):** Hi, guys! I'm back! Here we are with part two of Raphael and Amelia's arc. I want to just put a _**warning**_ in for _**adult themes**_ in later chapters and for _**mild depression**_. At the bottom of this first chapter, I'll be placing summaries for the fics of Leo, Donnie and Mikey, and I've started a little bit of work on all three. There'll be more details down below and there'll be a poll on my profile for you to vote on who you'd like to read about next. The winner will be announced in the last chapter of this fic.

I'd like to thank _**The Silvernote**_ for her constant support with all of the crazy ideas I've been having. I'm dedicating this, and all the other fics to you, because you've been awesome! This fic is set two years after the end of _**Secrets**_ and I highly recommend that you read that story first to get an understanding of certain events that are mentioned in this story. Just a reminder as well, the turtles are based on the 2k14 turtles, who I love to death!

This story is completed, by the way, and I'll be uploading a chapter a day as I did before. I'll also be waiting to publish the next fics until they're completed so I know they won't be abandoned half way through.

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter One: Neglected }**

" _No need to worry, Mia... I'll take good care of you..."_

Sitting up in bed, deep blue eyes wide and frantic, honey-blonde curls in a tangled mess and damp with sweat, Amelia Smith breathed heavily as she tried to calm herself from the nightmare that she'd just woken from.

Almost two years had passed since her co-worker had held her hostage in her apartment through a terrifying ordeal that had lasted hours. She should've been over this by now, but the nightmares still got to her eventually, no matter how she tried to block them out. Drawing her knees towards her chest, the twenty-year old author rested her elbows on them and ducked her head between them, taking another deep breath as she tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of the sweat soaked bedding sticking to her legs, along with the growing nausea in her stomach.

"Babe?" A deep gruff voice at the side of her caught her attention, and a large, three-fingered hand tenderly started to rub her cotton clad back, "Is it him again?"

"I'm so sorry, honey..." The blonde whispered, swallowing thickly as she tried to fight back her tears, "Go back to sleep. I'm alright."

"The hell you are." The voice sounded angrier this time, and steadily, Amelia felt the weight shift on the bed as her lover sat up beside her, wrapping a bulky arm around her small frame, "Look at me."

"Raph..."

The protest was weak, half-hearted even, but it came out as an automatic response, just as it did every time she had a nightmare about that horrible night. A thick finger reached under her chin and tilted it upwards, where she was met with a pair of soulful green eyes, and a concerned expression that made her heart pang with guilt. Those strong arms and hands that had the power to snap someone's neck like a twig, now held her so gently and tenderly, as though her form was made of glass. Amelia felt her shoulders sag, her tired eyes blinking slowly as the tears that had been threatening to well in her eyes finally retreated.

"I need you to talk to me about stuff like this." He said gently, brushing her hair out of her face, " _Please_..."

 _'I would if I ever actually saw you.'_

The bitter thought was pushed down into the deepest pits of her stomach, as she tried to fight the urge to move out of Raphael's embrace. She'd been losing weight over the past few months, since things started to go somewhat downhill, and she didn't want Raphael to notice.

"I should be over it by now." Amelia breathed, running her hands over her face, "It's been almost two years."

"You suffered a trauma." The large turtle said quietly, continuing to rub her back through her lilac camisole, "It takes time to get over that, and it takes some people longer than others. It doesn't make you weak, or anything like that. Okay?"

"Yeah." Amelia sighed, wiping the sleep from her eyes, "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Jeeze, stop fucking apologising. There's nothing to be sorry for." Raphael's tone was gruffer than he meant it to be, "Besides, I would've been getting up in ten minutes or so, anyway."

"More training?" Amelia asked softly, earning a heavy sigh and a nod from her boyfriend in response.

"I'm sorry, darlin'..." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, "Foot activity's increasing again... The Purple Dragon attacks are getting more frequent... We're on patrol more, so it means more training. I know we barely see each other these days..."

"It's okay." Amelia said, her eyes falling to her knees.

"It's okay?" Raphael asked incredulously, "So, us not being able to celebrate our second anniversary two weeks ago... That was okay?"

Amelia didn't answer. Of course it wasn't okay. Not really. Regardless of the fact that Raphael asked to just have that time to spend with her, Splinter had told him no. Amelia had been very upset. They'd had very little time together for about three months now, and it was driving Amelia insane. To then hear that Raphael couldn't even have time to celebrate his second anniversary with her had pushed her over the edge. The nightmares had started up again since they'd stopped spending time together.

It wasn't just him that she missed. It was _all_ of them. She barely saw anyone these days. She ate alone and slept alone. The only company she tended to get was the few minutes she got with Raphael first thing in the morning.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what I can do to make this better..." Raphael muttered, running his hand into her hair, "You're not happy, and I'm trying... I just... You're busy with working on your books, I'm busy with training..."

"We see each other when we wake up every morning, which is better than nothing, I suppose." Amelia said, unable to stop the bitterness lacing her tone, "I don't see how this situation can improve, right now. I have work to do, and you have your responsibilities... That's no-one's fault."

"Amelia..."

The twenty year old didn't want to talk about this any more. It was a sensitive subject, and she would much rather let Raphael do what he needed to do, than let him worry about how it made her feel. He had a duty to protect their home and the city they lived in, and she had no right to stand in the way of that. She got herself out of bed, shivering in the cold of the mid December morning, and she went to grab her clothes for the day which were folded neatly on the Ottoman at the bottom of the bed.

"It's fine." She replied, sounding snappier than she intended, "I'm taking a shower."

Raphael watched sadly as she walked out of their bedroom, closing the door behind her. The strain that this lack of time together was putting on their relationship was intense. They hadn't had sex for three months, which was pissing both of them off, they had no time where it was just _them_ and no-one else. She was becoming more and more withdrawn, and Raphael knew that it was getting to a point where the damage was going to become irreparable.

He got out of bed, put on his gear, and headed downstairs where Leonardo and Donatello were eating breakfast. It was easy to tell from the glower on his face, and fact that he was incredibly tense, that Raphael was _not_ a happy turtle this morning. Leonardo looked across at Donatello, who swallowed a piece of his pop tart before clearing his throat in a very nervous manner.

"Morning, Raph... Where's Amelia?"

"Shower." Raphael replied sharply, grabbing a pop tart from the box that sat on the kitchen counter before putting it in the toaster.

"Is everything okay?" Leonardo asked, eyeing his brother warily.

"Take a fucking guess."

Right. Everything _wasn't_ okay, then. Donatello looked across at Leonardo incredulously, pushing his glasses back up onto his face. It was plainly obvious that the extra training and patrols were taking their toll on both Raphael and Amelia. Amelia was clearly depressed, and she wasn't getting any help because no-one had the time. Every spare minute was spent in training. Duty was starting to come before family, and Raphael's relationship was suffering because of it. Amelia was incredibly unhappy, which was then making Raphael feeling worse. It was hard to watch what used to be a loving, happy, fun relationship, slowly crumbling into decimation.

"Sorry." Leonardo muttered, clearing his throat, "Stupid question."

"Damn fucking right it's a stupid question." Raphael growled, grabbing a small plate from one of the makeshift sideboards before lightly tossing it onto the counter where it rattled as it settled on the surface, "The only time I see my fucking girlfriend is when I wake up next to her every morning. She barely sees _any_ of us because we're stuck in fucking training for ten to twelve hours a day, and _then_ we go on patrol, to protect ungrateful, twisted, horrible people. So, no. Everything isn't okay. My girlfriend's fucking depressed, and there's nothing I can do about it, because I'm too busy training or on patrol to pay her the attention she needs from me."

"Things will improve in time." Leonardo said quietly, even though he knew that it wasn't much of a consolation, "We have a duty to..."

"Duty's half of the fucking problem. I have other responsibilities now." Raphael barked as his pop tart jumped out of the toaster, "I'm not giving up the love of my fucking life to suit you, Sensei or anyone else. Got it?"

He put the pastry on the plate and then went to get himself a glass of milk, which he liked to have with his breakfast. Leonardo sat silently while Donatello looked across at him worriedly, taking a drink of his own orange juice. Raphael had every right to be angry. They all needed a break, but as always, Splinter did things for a reason, and Raphael had been doing his best to be patient about what was happening, even though it was driving him mad.

"Have you spoken to Dad about what this doing to your relationship?" Donatello asked, watching his older brother carefully as he sat at the table, "I'm sure he'd be willing to let you spend more time with her if he realised..."

"He wouldn't let us have our fucking anniversary together." Raphael snarled, "So, I doubt he'll let me take any other time off. Look... It'll be fine. We'll... We'll just have to work it out."

"Oh, man... Are you and Amelia breaking up or something?" The sound of Michelangelo's whining tone of voice caused Raphael to roll his eyes.

"Dude, no!" The red-banded turtle growled, "We're _not_ breaking up. We just don't get any time together these days, and it's upsetting Amelia."

"Oh..." Michelangelo replied with a nod, "So, you aren't getting any..."

He put his thumb and index finger together in the ' _Ok_ ' position, and then started moving his other index finger back and forth through the gap, which earned him a hefty smack on the back of the head from Leonardo, a horrified look from Donatello, and a thunderous look from Raphael.

"What have we told you?" Leonardo snapped, "That's _so_ inappropriate, and disrespectful to Amelia. Don't talk about her like that!"

"You're lucky that he smacked you before I did." Raphael growled, glaring at the orange-clad turtle as he gingerly sat down next to an appalled Donatello, who gaped at him in disgust.

"My sons?"

The four twenty-one year olds turned around to meet the eyes of their father, who was standing in the doorway of the dojo with a stern expression on his face. Raphael bit back another growl and got out of his seat with his brothers, before heading towards the dojo to begin their stupidly long training session.

Amelia emerged from the bathroom when she heard the dojo door close, wiping her eyes as tears continued to seep from them onto her blotchy cheeks. She'd spent several mornings like this over the past few months, crying in the shower to unleash her pent up frustration and emotion. While they'd been spending all these hours training and patrolling New York City, Amelia had been doing her eight hours of writing every day apart from the weekends, and she'd been keeping the lair clean and tidy. Not that any of them really noticed, of course.

During the weekends, she would spend time either doing a few hours more of her work, or locked away in the bedroom she shared with her boyfriend, drawing, reading, or crying. She was starting to feel neglected, almost as though she was being pushed out of the family unit. Raphael was always too tired to provide her with the intimacy that she craved, and she barely saw anything of her adoptive brothers and father.

She sometimes left the lair to go and buy groceries, or new little odds and ends for the lair, which again, went unnoticed. She also disappeared topside on occasion to hang out with April, and sometimes she also had to put up with April's co-worker Vern, who had made very unhelpful comments about her relationship with Raphael. It was the most company she got at that time.

After three months of practically being ignored by the family that she'd loved for such a long time, Amelia was now considering whether or not she was even wanted down there any more. Raphael said that he loved her, but, he didn't show it much these days. He almost forgot their anniversary, and even then, they couldn't celebrate because of Splinter's strict training regime.

Raphael didn't seem to want to speak to his father about the fact that they _never_ spent time together. Amelia just didn't feel that it was her place to say anything, but Raphael wasn't in any rush to deal with the problem. He always said that he didn't know how to make things better, but Amelia was starting to wonder if he actually _wanted_ to make things better.

Maybe he was silently pushing her out of his life...

The thought made something inside of her break. Her hands clutched at the doorway of the bathroom to try and hold herself up as her legs started to give way from underneath her when a horrific, rolling wave of nausea washed over her. She took a few moments to get her breath and try to pull herself together, before she eased herself down the stairs, moving towards the kitchen to get herself a bottle of water. She couldn't bear to stomach anything else.

Then, she trudged towards her office, locking herself inside so that she could start her work for the day.

* * *

That same night, once Splinter had gone to bed, Amelia had slipped out of the lair with a bag of clothes, and headed for the surface to be away from the lair. In her desperation, she'd called April in a fit of tears, who'd asked her to come to her apartment so that they could talk about what was going on. Now, she was sitting on April's couch, holding a glass of water in shaking hands as she relayed the events of the past few months to the beautiful reporter.

April was listening intently, rubbing Amelia's back while handing her tissue, after tissue, after tissue. Every so often, Vern, who had been with April when Amelia called, would make some kind of sarcastic comment, which would earn him a death glare from the older of the two women. April was making every attempt she could to soothe Amelia, since the poor young woman was utterly distraught, and part of her knew that Amelia wasn't the right frame of mind to be making any big decisions about her relationship with Raphael or his family.

"Honey, they all love you so, so much... You know they do." April said softly, handing Amelia another tissue as she dropped the used one in her hand into the waste basket next to her.

"I just... I gave up my life for him. For _them_." Amelia sobbed, "It never occurs to any of them why they're never out of food, and they never notice when I clean the place, or change their beds, or clean their gear. They never notice when I've spent money that I've worked hard to earn, in order to buy something to make the place more homely. It makes me feel like shit."

She took a deep breath as April blindly handed the now empty glass to Vern, who rolled his eyes and got out of his seat to refill it with water. April continued to rub Amelia's back, unable to believe that the boys had been this way with her. For Splinter to be this ignorant to her needs was shocking.

"I know they're busy doing something so honourable... But... I mean, Raph and I haven't been together intimately for three months." Amelia cried, causing Vern to cringe and shudder as he got her the water, "And he won't talk to his dad about what this is doing to our relationship. It isn't my place to talk about that with Splinter. Raphael just won't do it, which is why I think he wants rid of me. He just avoids the subject all the time."

"You know, sweetie, they're gonna be worried sick when they realise you're gone." April said with a soft sigh, "You really do mean the world to them. I just think they've forgotten what it was like when you weren't living with them."

"When they had to do all their own chores... Yeah." Amelia huffed, shaking her head, "I know I sound so ungrateful but I feel really under-appreciated, and I also kind of feel like I'm being slowly shoved out of the family circle. It hurts."

In the small silence that followed, April's cell phone began to ring, and she looked at the caller ID to see that it was none other than Raphael calling her, no doubt in a panic. She sighed deeply and got out of her seat, stepping into the kitchen as Vern put the water in front of Amelia and sat back in his chair with a long, weary sigh.

"Raph?"

" _April! Is Amelia with you?"_ Raphael's voice was frantic as he practically yelled into the phone at the young reporter, _"We just came back from patrol and she's gone."_

"She's with me." April said softly, hearing him sigh with relief on the other end of the line, "Um... Raph, I'm gonna come and see you guys... There's some stuff I need to talk to you all about. I'm gonna leave Amelia here with Vern, and I'll be there soon, okay?"

" _Wait, why can't I come to you?"_ Raphael asked her.

"Because this is to do with the whole family." April replied, swallowing thickly, as she reached for her jacket, which was draped across the back of the couch, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Just get everyone together."

"Wait, you're leaving her with _me_?" Vern asked with an incredulous expression as April hung up the phone, his voice hushed as he moved her out of earshot of Amelia.

"Yes, I am. Someone's gotta tell them what's going on, and Amelia's not in any condition to do it." April replied with a scowl, "And ever since your joke about bestiality, Raphael wants to pummel you every time he sees you, so you can't go."

"O'Neil..." Vern said in a warning tone, earning a glare from April.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." April promised, her eyes wide and pleading, "Just take care of her, for an hour at the most. Please?"

"Ugh... Fine." Vern said with a petulant glare, "But you owe me, O'Neil."

"Thank you." April replied, sliding her jacket over her arms, "Don't make any stupid or sarcastic jokes. Just try and make her feel a bit better."

Without another word, the reporter turned on her heel and headed out of her apartment, leaving a very self conscious Vern, and an utterly distraught Amelia behind.

* * *

"April's coming over." Raphael said as he put his phone back on his belt, "Apparently, she needs to talk to all of us."

Leonardo swallowed thickly at the look of worry that spread over his younger brother's face. He didn't really know what to do or say. Raphael had been in an utter state of panic when he got home from patrol and found that Amelia was missing from the lair. Splinter hadn't even heard her leave, which meant that no-one knew how long she'd been gone for, or where she was. She wasn't answering her phone either, and the last time that she disappeared like this, she was almost killed by her psychotic, now deceased co-worker. At least they knew she was safe this time, though.

"I'll find the others." The eldest turtle offered, placing a comforting hand on Raphael's shoulder.

He could see that Raphael was genuinely upset, and worried sick about what April needed to talk to them about. What if Amelia had left without any intention of coming back? It would _kill_ him. The very thought of it brought a thick, hard lump into the back of his throat. What if she didn't come back? He'd never find another woman like her. He'd never find someone so loving, or accepting as her, he'd never find anyone else who he could love the same way he loved her. Feeling the emotion beginning to overwhelm him, he tried to push the worry down inside of him, at least until April arrived and they heard more about what was happening.

Maybe their Hogosha could shed some light on what was really going on with his girlfriend...

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **A/N No. 2:**

Okay, I know that this fic is starting on a pretty negative note, but I promise you that it will get better. I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter!

So, as I mentioned above, I've got a poll up on my profile, where you can vote for whether you want to read about Leonardo, Donatello or Michelangelo next. Leonardo's fic will be particularly dark, but as the summary states, I'll be putting warnings where applicable. In Donatello's case, there are some dark moments, and there will be warnings in that fic as well, but I plan for Michelangelo's to be a very light hearted and funny story. For the most part.

Anyway, here are the summaries, and the winner of the poll will be announced at the end of this fic.

 **Leonardo:** _"They're both one in the same; pretending that everything's okay on the outside when inside, they feel like they're dying. They meet when they can, fall into bed, and they part again to go back to their very different worlds, waiting patiently for the time when they'll see each other again. Leonardo/OC."_

 **Donatello:** _"Donatello has been trying to manage his depression effectively. Trying. But when he finally gets the courage to meet his online friend, his life takes a path he never imagined it would, and he finds something he's wished for, for a long time."_

 **Michelangelo** _"When Michelangelo to see a teen skateboarding contest, the orange-clad turtle is still trying to get over the fact that his angelcakes is dating his eldest brother. When he and said eldest brother have to unexpectedly rescue both April, and one of the contestants, it appears that his luck might just be about to change."_

Please make sure you vote! I'll be keeping an eye on the results as I continue to publish this fic. I promise that the next chapter will not have this much of my rambling. Thanks, everyone!

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	2. Realisations

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! I know that for some of you, there may be two chapters appearing on the same day, depending on where you are in the world, but I'm just about to leave for a night away at the coast with my boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend. It's fallen perfectly because it was my second anniversary with my boyfriend yesterday, so I'm one happy bunny, but I didn't want to leave you guys without a chapter today, so I'm posting this one before I set off. Thanks so much for the support so far, and remember to vote in the poll mentioned in the previous chapter for which turtle I'll write about next.

 **felicia2235:** Thanks for the vote! It's been noted :)

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Since I completed the fic yesterday, I know what's coming in future chapters, and I'm not going to spoil it for anyone else, so you'll have read on to find out what's going on with Amelia ;) Thanks for the review! :)

 **The Silvernote:** I'm glad you liked the chapter, hun! Don't thank me for the dedication. You've sat and listened to me go through idea after idea and you've been so supportive and so helpful, so thank you! xx

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Two: Realisations }**

When April arrived at the lair that night, the atmosphere was very sombre.

She greeted the brothers and their father as normal, with warm hugs, and kisses to the cheek, before they all sat down on various pieces of furniture that Amelia had brought with her when she moved in almost two years previously, obviously desperate to hear what she had to tell them. April stood before them all and took in a deep breath, clearing her throat as she prepared to tell them the unhappy truth about why the younger woman had left.

"Okay, so... Amelia turned up at my door about three hours ago with a bag of clothes in her hand." April began, her expression very solemn and serious, "She called me beforehand, absolutely devastated, and she said she needed a place to stay for the night, but she didn't have anywhere else to go."

Again, she took a deep breath, rubbing her arms with her hands as she took in the crestfallen expressions of the turtles and their father. She wasn't looking to hurt them, but she had to tell them what Amelia had said to her in order for them to understand why she'd left so late at night. She felt guilty, sad and even a little angry. She shouldn't even have to be doing this, yet here she was, breaking some news to them that would be devastating for them.

"She told me that you guys have been pretty busy with training and patrols lately." She continued, "So busy in fact, that she and Raphael couldn't celebrate their second anniversary together... She's spent the past few months feeling both neglected and unappreciated, which is why she came to me."

Splinter sighed and ran a paw across his forehead as April's words washed over him, a look of regret heavily present in his dark eyes. Michelangelo's eyes were wide and sparkling with what April realised were the beginnings of tears. Donatello ducked his head and closed his eyes, letting out a deep, shaky breath. Leonardo shook his head and gazed everywhere but April, almost in disbelief. Then, there was Raphael, who was looking at April with the most horrified expression she'd ever seen the red banded turtle wear. She felt awful, but they had a right to know the truth.

"She cleans, changes your beds, buys your groceries..." April said sadly, "And can any of you honestly tell me that you've even remotely noticed?"

No-one answered. They all looked sheepishly between themselves, before their heads lowered again, quite clearly in shame. How could none of them have realised that they were making her feel this way? April shook her head, half in sadness, and half in disappointment. She could see that Splinter was taking this worse than the others because he cared very deeply for Amelia, so to hear about her upset was probably horrible for him, especially since he treated her like a daughter.

"She genuinely believes that she's done something to make you all want her out of your lives." The reporter's voice was quiet as she spoke, "She thinks that you're trying to push her out of the family unit, and that you, Raph, don't care for her any more."

They knew that the separation from all of them was very difficult for Amelia, but they hadn't realised that it was _this_ bad. April stared at Raphael, feeling a protective anger come over her all of a sudden. Amelia had given up her life for them, and they were making her feel like she wasn't wanted. The poor girl must've been so hurt, and so let down by it all.

"She feels it isn't her place to say anything about what any of this is doing to her, but you know how horrible this has been for her, don't you, Raph?" April said, trying her best to keep her temper from getting worse, "And don't you think that as her boyfriend, maybe you should've said something long before now? She gave up her life on the surface because she loves not just you, but your family as well."

Raphael's head bowed in shame. He knew that April was right. He'd seen how bad things were getting for Amelia, and he hadn't said a damn word. And now, because of it, he could potentially lose his girlfriend and everything he'd known for the past two years, all in the space of a few hours.

"How come you haven't told your father what the separation is doing to your relationship, Raph?" April asked quietly, "How bad would you say the situation is right now with you and Amelia?"

After a moment of contemplation, Raphael lifted his gaze again to April's. He knew the answer to that, but he almost didn't want to admit it. Things were bad, as in, really bad. They couldn't have been much worse, and he felt that he was literally clinging to his relationship with Amelia by a thread.

"Almost irreparable." He said quietly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"My son..." Splinter looked distraught as he gazed at Raphael, his dark eyes wide and dewy, "Why have you not spoken to me about this?"

"We haven't had a break for three months, Sensei." Raphael shrugged, "You were so focused on training, and it was so important to you... I just... I didn't see the point."

"Well, Amelia thinks that you don't want to spend time with her, which is why you haven't said anything." April interjected, a scowl falling over her beautiful face, "She's seriously convinced that you don't love her any more."

"How bad is this?" Leonardo asked, worry glazing his eyes, "I mean... Is she going to come back, or...?"

"She certainly doesn't want to come back tonight." April replied, shaking her head, "I've given her the spare room at my place, and she can use it for as long as she needs it."

"Oh, my God! What if she doesn't come back?" Michelangelo asked, blinking furiously as his eyes threatened to fill with tears, "What can we do to get her to come home? She belongs with us."

"You guys need to show her a little more appreciation." April replied, "For starters."

"This is my fault."

Splinter's voice caught everyone's attention, and as the ageing rat leaned forward in his seat, the turtles were sure that they saw tears in their father's eyes. He loved Amelia like a daughter. Until recently he had done everything in his power to treat her as such, and to show her how he cared for her. But, his sense of duty had gotten in the way of that, and it was tearing his family to shreds. How could he have let this happen?

"I've been pushing all of you too hard." He began, shaking his head as he ran a paw over his face, "It never even occurred to me that Amelia would struggle so much with the separation... I wish that you'd spoken to me sooner, Raphael."

"Like I said, there was no point." Raphael replied, his voice strained with emotion, "You didn't even let us spend our second anniversary together."

"I know. And that was very wrong of me." Splinter said, taking in a deep breath, "Forgive me, my sons... I have caused Amelia to feel this way."

"We all have, Sensei." Donatello said quietly, his grey-green eyes sparkling with upset as he clasped his hands together in front of him, "We've all hurt her."

"I wanna see her." Raphael said, trying not to appear as devastated as he was, "I wanna try and make things right."

April looked at the hulking turtle for a moment, taking in the deep sadness that was now embedded in his eyes. He was soul-destroyed. He knew that there was a very real possibility that he was about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he appeared determined to fight for the woman who'd given him nothing but affection and love for the past two years, which the reporter could only take as a positive sign.

"You can walk me home." April said softly, letting out a long, deep sigh, "I know that you haven't done this intentionally, guys. Honestly, I tried to tell her how much you all love her, but she convinced that you don't want her any more."

"Then, we will work to rectify that." Splinter replied with a determined nod, "Raphael, you will go with April. The rest of you, come with me. We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

Vern had never been in such an uncomfortable situation in his life. Amelia was _still_ crying, and the only thing he'd been able to bring himself to do was hand her more and more tissues, and occasionally refill her glass of water. How could someone cry so much and not be exhausted?

He didn't know what to say to her. He hadn't exactly had the best attitude when it came to the turtles and their father, and when he found out that Raphael was in a relationship with a human, he'd found it oddly disturbing. Then he'd made that really dumb joke about bestiality, and it had taken both April and Amelia to physically restrain Raphael, which had then taken all of their strength to stop him from beating Vern to a bloody pulp.

Surely, he couldn't just sit here and continue to be silent. The poor girl was obviously very distressed, and she just needed _something_ to make her feel better, even if it was just the usual sort of stuff that people said in times like these. He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath to try and think of what to say that wouldn't sound insensitive, or sarcastic.

"Uh... Look, Amelia..." He leaned forward in his seat, his gaze moving from the window behind the couch that she sat on, to her as he tried to think of what to say, "I know that I haven't exactly been the nicest guy when it comes to the turtles, their dad, and your relationship with them. But, I can tell you that they all really do love you, especially Raphael."

Amelia looked up at him as she wiped her swollen, red eyes with a tissue, her face blotchy as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. He felt kind of bad for her. It was obvious that she really loved Raphael, not to mention the others. He'd been pretty judgemental about it all, when actually, he'd never seen a couple quite like Raphael and Amelia. They obviously shared something very special, and loved one another so deeply, and it was something that Vern had sort of accepted that he was too self-centred to find. He couldn't give himself to someone the way that Raphael and Amelia gave themselves to each other. They just _knew_ how the other worked, and it was pretty special to see them together.

"The way he looks at you... You can see the love in his eyes." The cameraman said, clearing his throat again, "And the others, you know, they're so protective of you... Especially Leo. They clearly all deeply care about you, and I'm pretty certain that they haven't made you feel this way intentionally. I mean, you love them all a lot too, right?"

"Yeah." Amelia sniffled, hiccuping as she wiped her eyes, "I love them more than they know."

"So, maybe when April's talked to them, they might understand and want to make things better for you." Vern suggested with a slight shrug, "It might be worth hearing what they have to say before you make any big decisions about whether or not you're going to give that life up. I mean, honestly... I think you'd regret it if you didn't go back. Obviously, you need some time to think things over, but... I think you miss them already... Don't you?"

Amelia nodded and let out another sob, taking a deep breath to get a hold of her emotions. Standing from his seat, the cameraman reached for her empty glass to go and refill it with water. She thanked him with a silent nod of appreciation, and he got a sweet smile from her, which was somewhat of a relief. He'd actually managed to make her feel better, much to his surprise.

Just as he was approaching the sink, he saw April come into the apartment, looking out of breath as though she'd raced up the many flights of stairs separating her apartment from the ground below. She saw him filling up the glass of water by the sink, and she cleared her throat, closing the apartment door behind her as quietly as possible before turning to him with wide eyes.

"I need you to go to my room, or something." She said, sounding a little panicked, "Raph's on his way up the fire escape, and if he sees you, he'll want to pummel you."

Vern sighed out of pure irritation, nodded in response to her request and rolled his eyes. He walked across the apartment, placing the glass in front of Amelia before he headed towards the bedrooms, leaving the two women alone. April moved over Amelia and sat beside her, putting a comforting arm around her. Luckily, Vern was out of sight just in time as Raphael arrived on the fire escape.

Through the window, the turtle watched as Amelia sat, hunched over with a used tissue in her hand, listening to whatever comforting words April was saying to her. He put a large, three-fingered hand against the glass, his eyes glazing with the beginnings of tears as he watched his girlfriend begin to cry again. It was gut-wrenching to see her so upset and it was always something that hit him hard to witness. It just didn't seem right that someone like her should be that upset, so when it happened, he was always heartbroken for her.

April's eyes met his in an exchange of rather distressed looks, and she quickly moved to the window, opening it to let him inside. He climbed inside quietly, moving straight to his girlfriend's side to try and comfort her. He knelt beside her, looking horrified when he saw how swollen her eyes were, and how blotchy her face was from the hours of crying. He gingerly reached out to take her hand as April closed the window, his heart hammering in his chest when she pulled away from him.

"I'll give you both some privacy." April said quietly, stepping away from the pair and towards her bedroom.

"Baby, we were so worried about you..." Raphael breathed, resting a hand on Amelia's leg lightly, "Why didn't you tell us what was going on?"

"What was the point?" Amelia huffed bitterly, "You've all been so tied up in your responsibilities..."

"I know... And I'm so sorry that I haven't done more for you." Raphael said quietly, his throat tightening as a lump sat itself in the back of it, "I should've done more. We all should. We're all so sorry that it's come to this for us to realise... Just... Please come home, baby."

"I don't know, Raph..." Amelia whispered as more tears fell down her face, "You knew I was hurting. You wouldn't talk to your father. It was like you didn't want to spend time with me at all."

"Listen to me, sweetheart..." Raphael's voice broke as he gently talked to her, his large hand moving to hold hers again, "Please. I just didn't know what to say to him. I know I should've said something sooner, but I wanna make this right."

She didn't answer him. She was just too upset, and the thought of losing her was _killing_ him. He placed his hand atop hers gently, feeling relieved when she didn't pull away from him like she had before. He tried to get his emotions under control, but it was too hard. He couldn't bear to see her like this, and knowing that he was partially responsible made it so much worse. He'd grown so much in the past couple of years, learning to be a better, more understanding person, for her sake. But now... He may have ruined it and thrown it all away, all because, deep down, he was too damn scared to talk to his father.

"What do you need from me?" He asked her, "What can I do to make this better?"

"I-I just don't know..." Amelia breathed, wiping at her eyes with the tissue in her hand.

"I don't wanna lose you." Raphael's voice was hoarse as he spoke, and the tears finally fought their way to his eyes, "I love you so much, darlin'... We all do. We all want you to come home... _Please_..."

"Raph..."

"You have no idea what it would do to us if you didn't come home." The first tear fell onto Raphael's face, "We'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. All of us. Just... _Please_ , don't leave. I'm so sorry."

She wanted him to hold her so badly. But, she knew if she gave in, it wouldn't teach them anything. Unfortunately, while she hated the thought, she needed them to learn that they couldn't treat her this way ever again. The past three months had been the most difficult and painful of her life. They needed to understand that.

"I need time to think about things." She said quietly as more tears left her eyes, "I'm not going back tonight."

"If you need time, we can give you time." Raphael promised, squeezing her hand in his own as he let out a shaky sigh, "Just... Just call me if you wanna come home. I don't care what time it is, just call me... Or when you've had a chance to think things through, let me know and I'll come back to talk to you, okay?"

Amelia nodded, not even daring to look at him as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He stood up from where he was currently knelt on the floor, and he tenderly cupped the back of her head, before he drew her closer and pressed a loving, lingering kiss to the crown of it. Amelia's eyes closed as her heart clenched tightly in her chest. It was a pain like she'd never felt before. Was that her _heart_ breaking? Was that what heartbreak really felt like? She had to fight the sob that threatened to leave her throat, and she had to really battle with her emotions to stay strong and stick to her guns. The only thing she wanted to do was to embrace him, but she just _couldn't_. She couldn't do it. She had to stick to her guns.

From the shadows of the corridor which led to the bedrooms, April watched with tears in her eyes as Raphael released the young woman, before making his way to the window. It had been such an intimate moment to watch, and it was clear that both of them were in so much pain, that it was unbearable. It was heartbreaking to see them both so devastated.

"I love you, Amelia." Raphael whispered gruffly, before exiting through the window, closing it behind him.

Amelia turned around to look to where he'd just been standing, only to find that he'd disappeared. As another sob escaped her lips, she took more deep breaths to try and control herself, before she was finally able to whisper her reply into the empty space.

"I love you too..."

* * *

The urge to scream in utter anguish was almost overbearing as Raphael sprinted from rooftop to rooftop. His hulking chest was heaving with each and every breath he took, as tears freely flowed down his face. Never in his life had he hurt so much. It was a physical, mental, emotional pain, one that he never thought even existed. He literally felt like his innards were being torn out, like something was burning him from the inside. It was awful, and he hated it. He just wanted Amelia to come back.

He found a manhole relatively quickly, knowing that his family would be worried about him. Once in the sewers, he took a minute to take in a breath and try to calm himself down. He didn't want his family to see him this way. He looked a mess, he was clearly a wreck, and he felt ill enough to throw up.

When he managed to compose himself, he made the short journey to the lair, and he was met with nothing but heartbroken and disappointed looks from his family when they realised he was alone. Leonardo approached him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently in reassurance. Sometimes, Leonardo just _knew_ when Raphael would appreciate open gestures of comfort without being embarrassed, and this was one of those occasions.

"She needs some time." Raphael said, his throat hurting with the size of the lump of emotion that still sat in it, "She'll let me know when she's made a decision."

"Then, we must be patient." Splinter said sadly, tiredly rubbing a hand over his face, "To bed, my sons. Try to get some rest."

Slowly, everyone started to disperse. Splinter went to his room and closed the door with a devastated expression on his face. Leonardo went to Michelangelo's room to comfort the youngest turtle, who was completely and utterly distraught. Donatello, who was now a sickly pale colour, couldn't even bring himself to shift his gaze from the floor as he trudged back to his lab, locking himself inside. Now standing alone, Raphael let out a heavy sigh, and trudged up the cold, metal stairs to bed.

As he got to his room, the same room that he'd shared with Amelia for almost two years, he closed the door and locked it, when a wave of sadness washed over him again at just how _empty_ the space was. Normally, she'd be sleeping at this time, looking beautiful and looking peaceful. All he saw before him in that moment was a cold, empty slab that he had to sleep on, without being able to feel her warm, supple body next to his.

The tears sprang back to his eyes again as he slowly took off his gear, setting it down on the Ottoman at the foot of their large bed, where her clothes should've been sitting for the following day. He then got into bed on his own side, turning out the lamp as he went. As the darkness enveloped the room, Raphael curled into the pillow that belonged to his girlfriend and held it to his chest, breathing in her scent in an attempt to soothe himself.

Outside the door, Leonardo flinched when he heard a sob escape his younger brother's lips, and sadly, he trudged back to his own bedroom, locking the door behind him.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	3. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I'm back from my night away, and we had such an awesome time! I missed my kittens so much, but they're home with us now, and I thought there was no better way to celebrate coming home than to upload the next chapter of Changes. Thanks for all the continued support so far, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

 **CHAPTER WARNINGS:** Mentions of severe weight loss due to depression, stress and anxiety.

 **Alex:** I've marked your vote on the tally! Thanks for reading.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Thanks for such a sweet compliment, I hope you enjoy the rest of this fic :) Thanks for the support!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for another review, hun! You'll find out more as you keep reading ;)

 **felicia2235:** This next chapter may very well hold the answers you seek...

 **The Silvernote:** I hate writing sad things but sometimes it's a necessary evil. Thanks for the continued support! It means the world to me, honestly.

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Three: Reunion }**

Amelia got no sleep after Raphael left April's apartment.

She'd excused herself to the spare room, locked herself in and got ready for bed in the hopes that her crying fit would make her tired enough to sleep. No such luck. She sat staring out of the bedroom window onto the beautiful city, its lights twinkling like glimmers of hope in the darkness. She was thinking over everything that had happened over the past few months. How slowly, painfully, she'd become part of the background of her family's lives, as though she was insignificant to them. Despite the fact that none of them had made much in the way of effort to spend time with her during those months, she'd still cleaned their home, bought their food, changed their beds and cleaned their gear. She'd still tried on some level to take care of them, while she was being neglected.

However, as hurtful as this was, Amelia couldn't help but think about all of the wonderful times she'd shared with the boys over the past two years. The laughter, the childish pranks, the banter, the love that was shared between them... All of it was beyond amazing.

Her first Christmas with them, for example, lead to Michelangelo's cooking being the butt of the joke for several weeks, after he'd served a liquorice and anchovy sauce with the turkey. He'd been watching Disney's _Ratatouille_ in the hope that it would give him some culinary inspiration, but instead, he'd made Raphael and Leonardo sick for most of Christmas Day. At least they'd managed to laugh afterwards.

Then, there was Amelia and Raphael's first Valentine's Day. He presented her with a single rose, and a blanket which he'd knitted himself for her, since she always complained about being cold in the lair. There had been a conversation in which Raphael had explained how he learned to knit, which was sort of embarrassing for him because he didn't deem it as a manly skill. After so many hours in the Hashi, he was bound to become good at it sooner or later. They all had the ability to knit, but he just seemed to excel at it. He'd taken her, and her new blanket up to their room, where they spent their Valentine's evening watching the _Batman_ movies, which she'd given to him as a Valentine's gift.

In the Spring, when Amelia published her first novel, the family celebrated with a party, where Michelangelo had been self-appointed DJ. After a lot of coaxing, she managed to get a dance with Raphael, and she even taught Michelangelo and Donatello some new moves. Leonardo had stayed with Splinter, who kept wincing every so often at the choice in music.

She found herself smiling fondly at the memories, and her yearning to go home grew ever stronger. She looked down at her T-Phone that sat on the bed next to her, and she gingerly reached down to pick it up in her dainty hand. The clock on her phone said that it was just past three in the morning.

 _'Should I call him?'_

If she did, would things really change? Would she continue to be ignored, or would the boys make more of an effort to bring things back to how they used to be, before increase in gang activity, the training and the patrols? Maybe she could go back, and if things didn't change, she always had the option of walking away. It wasn't like she was a prisoner there. Looking back down at the phone in her hand, feeling conflicted, Amelia scrolled through to Raphael's number and hovered over the ' _Call_ ' button. Vern's words came back to her from their conversation earlier that night. The cameraman had gone up in Amelia's estimation after he'd said such touching things about her relationship with Raphael and his family.

" _I think you'd regret it if you didn't go back."_

Taking in a deep breath, Amelia pushed the _'Call'_ button and brought the phone to her ear. After just two rings, Raphael answered. Amelia almost startled at how quickly he picked up the phone, but she figured that maybe he hadn't been sleeping either, considering how upset he was when he left earlier.

" _Amelia?"_

"Raphael..."

There was a pause for a moment as Amelia swallowed thickly, trying to get her emotions in check. She heard what sounded like the bedsheets being pulled back and a familiar creak that their bed sometimes gave when they shifted their weight on it. She bit her lip and cleared her throat, willing herself not to cry.

"I've been thinking... About everything." She said softly, looking out of the window again, "I wanna try and make things work. I want to come home."

" _You do?"_ He sounded elated, _"Really? You're coming home?"_

"Yeah." Amelia replied, turning on the lamp at the side of her bed and wincing at the sudden stinging of the light hitting her eyes, "How long will it take you to get here?"

" _Not long, darlin'. Believe me. Not long at all."_ Raphael replied, his voice deep and gruff, _"I'll see you soon, okay?"_

"Okay." Amelia said sweetly, hanging up the phone before climbing out of bed.

She made the bed back up, got herself dressed, packed her things in her bag, and put on her warm winter clothes before she scribbled a note to April, letting her know the situation, and thanking her for her hospitality. It seemed the very least she could do after April had been so supportive of her, and since the young reporter had given Amelia her spare room for the night.

She then waited in the darkness of April's living room, bouncing her knee anxiously as she waited for Raphael's arrival. She now had to go back and face the family that she'd left behind. She would have to look into guilt-ridden eyes and stand before them, knowing that she abandoned them. A sudden wave of nausea crashed over her at the thought of it.

A tapping on the window caused her to startle, and she looked up to see a familiar pair of green eyes and a broad smile that she'd grown to love so much over the past two years. The emotion welled up in her eyes before she could stop it, and as she trudged towards the window with her bag in her hand, she carefully opened it up, only for him to hold a hand out to her.

She gingerly took it, climbing through the window into the cold night air, closing it quietly behind her so as not to disturb April. She looked up at Raphael, eyes glistening with tears as the emotion caused her chest to heave. She'd missed him so much that it was agonisingly painful, and he could see it in her eyes. At the sight of her distress, the smile fell from the turtle's lips, and he went to cup her face, only for her to throw herself against him, wrapping her arms around his thick neck and broad shoulders as she let out the first sob against his skin.

He held her so tightly in his arms, almost crushing her to him as the relief washed over him that she was serious about coming back to the lair with him. Even though she'd only been gone a few hours, it felt like she'd been gone for a lifetime, and it had been unbearable. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her beanie-clad head, softly hushing her as one of his hands moved to rub her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Come on, sweetheart... It's cold out here." He said quietly, his own voice thick with emotion, "Let's go home."

Amelia allowed Raphael to take the bag from where it now rested on the fire escape as she furiously wiped at her eyes to try and stop the tears, and then he lifted her with ease onto his back before beginning the descent to the ground. He could hear her trying to calm herself down, so every so often, he would reach up when he could and squeeze her hand in reassurance. It meant the world to him that she was coming back, and that she was prepared to give them a second chance, even though he and his family had unintentionally pushed her out of their lives.

He got her into the sewers as quickly as possible, where he set her on the floor again, keeping the duffel bag held in right hand. He then held out his left hand for Amelia to take in her right, which she did, if a little nervously. She laced her fingers through his, even though it was sometimes uncomfortable since he only had three fingers and she had five, and he tenderly stroked the soft skin of her hand with his own, much rougher thumb.

She offered him a smile, and he gave her one in return that lit up his face like the fourth of July. She could feel the relief and the excitement rolling off him in waves, and Raphael didn't get visibly excited very often, but here, Amelia could see it on his face, plain as day, which brought joy to her heart once again. Squeezing the large hand in her own, Amelia set off walking in the direction of home, with Raphael eagerly following her.

They didn't say anything to each other. They walked in companionable silence, and would remain silent until they went to their room. They only ever talked about personal matters between them in their room. It was their sanctuary, and they never knew who was listening to their conversations when they were walking through the tunnels. They preferred to talk about things privately with each other.

Amelia felt a sense of peace come over her as she saw one of the many entrances to the lair. They were going through the main entryway, which Donatello had been able to close off with a large shutter that had been painted black so it was concealed in the darkness of the tunnels. She'd missed her home, even though she'd chosen to leave it, and she felt finally at ease as Raphael lifted the shutter up to allow them to step inside.

"Baby-doll!"

Amelia turned and found herself being swept off the ground by Michelangelo, who held her in a crushing embrace as he spun her around on the spot. Were they all really awake at this time in the morning for her benefit? Now, she felt even more guilty for leaving the lair. He pressed kiss after kiss to her beanie-clad head, telling her how much he loved her and how he'd missed her. He apologised over and over, promising that as her big brother, he'd take better care of her and make sure she knew she was loved. This continued for several moments, before he was pried away by Donatello, which then allowed Leonardo to step forward to embrace her.

Cupping a hand around the back of Amelia's head, Leonardo pulled her closer to him and held her tightly, pressing a kiss of his own to her head. He squeezed her tighter as she started to cry, and he apologised to her softly, promising that things would be different now, and that they would never allow her to feel that way again. She gave him a kiss in return on his cheek, just savouring the feeling of being back with her big brother again. Vern was right. Leonardo was always so protective over her.

He then backed away and Amelia was scooped up into the arms of Donatello, who held her tightly to his tall form without a word. He then leaned down and kissed her head, before he whispered what sounded like a very emotional apology into the crocheted beanie on her head. He told her that he loved her, she told him that she loved him too, and he finally let her go so that their father, Splinter could embrace her.

They looked at one another for a moment, before the ageing rat drew her into his arms, which caused her to break down even more. He was more of a father to her than her own father had ever been, and to see him standing before her with tears in his eyes was just unbearable. She clutched onto him tightly and sobbed against him, only for him to tenderly cup her head as Leonardo had done, and to rub her back to try and soothe her.

"I'm so glad you've come home, my child." He whispered to her softly, "I am so sorry for everything. Had I known sooner..."

"I'm sorry I left, Master Splinter... I abandoned you all." She sobbed, hearing him hush her gently again.

"No, Amelia, we abandoned you." Splinter said quietly, continuing to run a paw over her back, "We neglected you, and for that we are all sorry. We intend to make this right. You are my daughter. I love you more than you will ever realise."

The words shook Amelia to her core. She was his _daughter_. He had accepted her as his own, and in that moment, Amelia felt her heart slowly beginning to piece itself back together. Even her own father had never been this loving towards her, yet here was someone who, despite being abandoned by her, continued to love her all the same. She felt so, so blessed. Now feeling overwhelmed, she squeezed him tightly once more and whispered a tearful reply into his ear.

"I love you too, Dad."

Splinter closed his eyes at her loving words, and let out a sigh as Amelia pulled back from the embrace, wiping at her eyes with gloved fingers. Raphael moved to stand by her with a lump in his throat from the emotional scene, and he placed a protective arm around her and pulled her into his side, her bag still held tightly in his right hand.

"I think that all of us have had a trying night. We should get some rest while we can, and later, we will discuss the changes that are going to be made around here." Splinter said with a small smile, "I will see you all in a few hours."

Everyone said goodnight to each other, before they all trudged tiredly back to their rooms. Raphael led Amelia up to their room by the hand, and once they were inside, he closed the door as Amelia took off her outerwear and moved straight to the wardrobe that stood in the corner of the room to put it away. He set the young woman's bag on floor, watching as she removed the thick woollen coat from her thinning frame. It only hit Raphael then, just how thin she actually was. How had he not noticed before...?

"What is it?"

Her voice startled him, but he tried not to show it as he walked towards her, taking her by the waist. Oh, yeah... She was incredibly skinny. He glanced over her worriedly, as he brought a hand to her face, trying not to get too angry or upset about the state she was in. She always kept things like this to herself, almost as if she was scared of letting him on telling him. It hurt him and he felt upset that she couldn't confide in him that way.

"You're... You looking so thin..."

"I've just lost a little weight, is all." Amelia said, smiling up at him softly, almost awkwardly, "I didn't notice myself until I had to put a belt on with my jeans, but... I'm going to make sure I put a little back on. I'm not keen on my size at the moment."

It was a blatant lie, but she didn't need him to know that she'd lost a lot of weight. She didn't want to worry him.

"Listen, I love you, no matter what size you are." Raphael said quietly, inwardly wincing when he realised how his comment must've sounded to her, "That isn't what I meant when I said you look thin... I just... I'm worried about you."

"I know." Amelia replied, nodding her head, "I know that, honey. But you're right. I'm too thin. And I don't feel very healthy or well right now, so I'm going to work to put a little back on. Don't worry."

"I love you. I'll always worry." Raphael admitted, drawing her closer to hug her.

She hugged him tightly and leaned into his plastron, pressing a tender kiss to it as she held onto his hulking form. She honestly wasn't upset by what he'd said. She knew she'd lost weight and that she wasn't looking or feeling well because of it, so she was going to make sure she ate well, and ate properly, with the occasional little treat on the side to help her get back to a healthy weight. She felt like her clothes were hanging off of her at that point in time.

"I love you too." She whispered to him, looking up into his beautiful green eyes as he gazed down at her, "I'm sorry I left."

"I'm sorry that you felt you had to..." Raphael replied, brushing his spare hand into the back of her hair, as the other rested across her back, "I'm so glad you're home. This place didn't feel like home without you."

"And I'm happy to be home." Amelia said with a sincere nod, swallowing thickly as he leaned down, his eyes flickering from her eyes, to her lips and back again.

They'd only shared the odd kiss on the cheek or the forehead over the past three months. Every bit of contact they had was very rushed. Raphael was ushered into training, and Amelia was then set on getting her latest book finished, considering that working on that took her mind off of her familial problems. So, as Raphael leaned in to kiss her, she felt almost as nervous as she had the first time they'd kissed two years before.

She leaned up to meet him, her hand moving to tenderly caress his cheek, and as their lips met, her other hand moved upwards so that she could cradle his head with her delicate limbs. A rush flew through both of them, like it was the first time they'd ever done this, and with a sudden burst of need, Amelia let out a soft whimper and pushed herself closer to him, allowing him to wrap her in his strong embrace.

They moved their mouths together, both holding onto one another tightly as they relished in the feeling of being in each other's arms again. Amelia broke the kiss first, gazing up at Raphael as a gentle smile graced her lips. He saw the colour come back to her cheeks, and the light come back to her eyes, and it gave him hope that maybe things would really be okay.

"Could you get my jammies out of my bag?" She asked him, fluttering her eyelashes in his direction, "Pretty please."

He smirked at her and it almost caused her legs to give out. It was that devilish, handsome smirk that always sent pulses of excitement straight to her lower half, and with a grin, she began to steadily remove her sweater as he went to get her pyjamas. However, when he turned back and he looked at her half naked form, a lump formed in his throat.

Her ribs were visible. This was why she was wearing baggy clothes all the time? How had he not even noticed this? She'd been wearing a skin tight camisole the previous morning and he hadn't noticed when he'd woken up next to her and held her that she was this thin. She saw him staring at her and she picked up the sweater, holding it across her chest as she lowered her gaze to the floor. The last thing he'd wanted was to make her self conscious.

"Let me see..." He whispered, feeling tears come to his eyes, "Please..."

She was so ill... What kind of boyfriend was he? How could he have let her become so unwell? She gingerly lowered the sweater again with tears in her own eyes as she revealed her body to him, and he watched her as she slowly unfastened the belt of her jeans. The denim bottoms slid down to the middle of her thighs, without her even touching them, and Raphael's heart broke when he saw how prominent her hip bones were, and how prominent her collarbone was. It was _awful_.

He took the white t-shirt and dark blue, plaid-patterned pyjama bottoms across to her, carefully laying them on the bed as she stepped out of her jeans. He felt like he couldn't breathe as he looked over the expanse of pale skin, trying not to wince as his fingers ran over said protruding hip bones. She stood before him in her underwear, looking ill and weak as she started to shiver in the cold of the room. It hurt him so badly to know that she'd been dealing with this on her own.

"Amelia, you've really gotta start talking to me about this stuff..." He breathed out, rapidly blinking to rid his eyes of the tears that had welled up in them as a protective anger took over him, "You're _ill_ , for fuck's sake... You can't keep me in the fucking dark about things like this any more. _Please_... Just let me take care of you."

Amelia looked so crestfallen. She felt like she was being scolded, and horrible feeling of guilt washed over her as she turned her tearful gaze to the floor. Raphael reached for her again and tenderly cupped her face with one of his large hands, caressing her cheek with his thumb, before he cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for yet another hug. He closed his eyes as a million and one horrid thoughts rushed through his head. The fact that she was unwell and she hadn't said a word about it to anyone because she felt she couldn't, was just awful. He felt so guilty.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

"No... Fuck, Amelia... _No_! Stop fucking apologising!" He sounded harsher than he meant to as he pulled back to look at her, "Baby, I'm not saying that you're to blame for anything! I just want you to let me in, instead of suffering silently, okay?"

"O-Okay..." Amelia whispered, sniffling as she drew up a hand to wipe her eyes, "I'm really tired..."

"I know, I can see that. So am I." Raphael replied, leaning down to kiss her head as he realised that she no longer wanted to talk about her current state of health, "Do you want me to get you a glass of water, or anything?"

"Water would be great. Thank you." Amelia replied, managing a small smile as she wiped her eyes again.

Raphael swallowed down the lump in his throat and headed back out of the room and down to the kitchen, leaving Amelia on her own in their room. The twenty year old felt very self conscious as she dressed herself in the pyjama bottoms that now hung very loosely from her hips, and she slipped on the white t-shirt that looked to be way too big for her.

She trudged over to her bag and got out her T-Phone and cell phone, putting them side by side on the bedside table on her side of the bed. When Raphael returned, he shut the door and shivered in the cold of the room, before he carefully placed the glass of water next to Amelia's phones. He then moved around to his side of the bed and got in beside his girlfriend, wrapping the thick duvet around them both.

He then switched off his bedside lamp, as she switched off hers, and he welcomed her into his arms, trying to warm her small frame as she trembled underneath the sheets. It felt so wonderful to have her back with him again, to feel her body against his, even though she was cold. After a few moments, he brushed a hand through her hair, leaning forward so that his lips pressed against her forehead. He kissed her tenderly, before he whispered to her, his mouth brushing against her skin as his spoke to her.

"I love you, darlin'... And I'm gonna help you get better. I promise."

"I love you too, Raph." Amelia breathed out, humming with contentment as she snuggled against him, "I-I only feel a little unwell, and it won't take long for me to put the weight back on."

"I know, but I'm still gonna take care you, alright? I'm your boyfriend. It's my job." He spoke to her so gently, "Now, let's get some rest..."

"Night, Raph." She mumbled, leaning into his large frame.

Raphael smiled wistfully, leaning his head against hers as she curled against him, his heart thundering in his chest as her lips brushed across his plastron in a brief kiss.

"Night, Amelia."

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	4. A Hint of Normality

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for the support so far! For new followers, readers, favouriters and reviewers, you're all ace! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying the fic so far! I'm going through a rather lengthy editing process every time I upload a chapter to make sure it's the best it can be before I present it to you all, so it means a lot to me that you're enjoying it so far! Don't forget to vote in the poll for who you want to read about next.

 **The Silvernote:** Thank you again for the review hun! I love the brotherly and fatherly bonding because I see the turtles and their dad as a very close family anyway, so I can see them being the same with Amelia as well. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for the review! I'm not giving anything away, so you'll have to keep reading to find out what's going to happen in the future. ;)

 **felicia2235:** This fic is slightly longer than _Secrets_. But, I won't say exactly how long because I don't want people to be upset when they realise they're getting close to the end. Thanks for the consistent reviews!

Happy reading, everyone!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Four: A Hint of Normality }**

When Amelia arrived at the breakfast table the next morning, she felt rather self conscious as she was met with concerned looks from the turtles and their father.

She'd always worn oversized t-shirts for bed, but this one in particular was sliding down her shoulder rather than just hanging loosely on her thin frame. She also had to keep pulling up her pyjama bottoms, which of course, was drawing attention to her. Her weight-loss had been quite dramatic since it had occurred over a rather short space of time, but she didn't like the fact that it was now clearly obvious to everyone that she wasn't exactly fit and healthy. Michelangelo seemed to be the first one to snap out of the shocked trance he was in, which was highly unusual. But, Amelia was grateful all the same.

"Morning, baby-doll! Do you want some breakfast?"

"Please." Amelia said with a smile, steadily approaching the chair that Raphael had pulled out for her.

It wasn't unusual for her, these days, to be hit with a spell of dizziness when she hadn't eaten for a while, and as a wave of nausea and dizziness washed over her, she took a deep breath and went to grab the back of the chair for support. She'd been dealing with this for a while now, and she thought she had it under control by now. She _thought_...

"Babe...?" Raphael's voice was full of concern as the colour drained from his girlfriend's face, and he got out of his chair to take a hold of her arms so that she was held steady, "Come sit..."

Michelangelo hurriedly brought the plate of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and toast to her as Raphael eased her into the chair, and he placed it before her as Leonardo poured her some tea. It was pretty obvious that she was incredibly unwell, and she clearly needed help, which her family realised she'd been needing for a lot longer than they thought. It was saddening too, to think that she'd been gradually getting worse over a short period of time, and not one of them had noticed in the slightest.

"You okay?" Raphael asked her, earning a very light nod from the pale young woman.

"I'm alright. I just need to eat." She said with a weak smile, "Thanks, guys."

Trying to eat when you just didn't feel like it, with people staring at you, would be unnerving to anybody. But for Amelia, it made eating twice as hard. She only managed half of her breakfast before she felt too sick to eat any more. She put her fork down as she forced herself to swallow the last mouthful of eggs, and she instantly felt the wave of nausea hit her again. She leaned forward in her seat, putting her head in her hands and taking deep breaths to try and stop herself from losing her food all over the breakfast table.

The brothers and their father shared concerned looks at the state that the young woman was in. Her mind was obviously occupied by something distressing, whether it was the fact that she clearly felt unwell, or something else. So, Splinter decided to do something about it. He cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention, including Amelia's, who rested her head on one hand, and looked up at him wearily.

"I have realised that I've been pushing you all too hard." His voice was soft as he spoke, "While we do need to keep up the extra patrols, I'm going to give you a long break from training so that we can all spend some time together as a family. Amelia, I want you to focus on getting better. It is apparent to all of us that you're very unwell. I would appreciate it if you would take some time to speak with Donatello about your symptoms so that we can find out how to help you get better."

"Of course." Amelia said with a nod, looking up in surprise as Donatello stood from the table and moved to her side, "Oh, right now?"

"Right now." Splinter nodded, watching her ease herself out of her chair as another wave of nausea rocked her body.

Donatello stayed close by, his arm at the ready in case she either collapsed, or she needed something to hold onto. Slowly, they moved out of the kitchen area and towards his lab, leaving the others behind with worried expressions on their faces. Raphael felt his heart clench as Donatello closed the lab door, separating him from his girlfriend.

He wanted to be with her, but he knew he'd probably just be in the way, and that his presence might make Amelia nervous to discuss what was causing her illness. For whatever reason, Amelia felt more comfortable opening up to Donatello when it came to _extremely_ personal things, so Raphael didn't want to intrude and make her feel unable to get everything off her chest. The more they got out of her, the better. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he realised it was Leonardo who was trying to offer him some comfort since he was clearly quite concerned. He smiled gratefully and ran a hand over his face, before he stood from his seat and started to clean the table. It was something that would keep his mind occupied until Amelia was with him once again.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Donatello and Raphael were standing in the lab, while Amelia was left in the care of their brothers. They were discussing what Donatello had found from Amelia's examination and from what she'd told him, and Raphael didn't exactly know how to feel about it all at first.

"I'm certain she has mild anaemia." Donatello was saying, his arms folded across his chest, "It would explain the dizziness, the dark discolouration under her eyes, the extended periods of fatigue during menstruation..."

"What the fuck's anaemia?" Raphael asked, not wanting to elaborate on the topic of Amelia's monthly cycle.

"Iron deficiency." Donatello said simply, "Possibly brought on by the stress and weight loss. But, either way, we just need to up the iron in her diet and she'll be fine. The stress of what's been going on for the past few months has more than likely caused the weight loss... But that's a relatively simple fix."

"I'm assuming it's going to take time to deal with that..." Raphael said with a slow nod.

"Yep. That's why she felt sick at breakfast. Too much food is going to make her feel unwell, and her stomach needs to get used to taking in an increased amount of food." Donatello said brightly, "So, the bad news is that she is definitely ill, but the good news is that, like I said, it's a relatively easy fix. She'll be fine within a couple of months, I reckon."

"Well, that makes me feel a lot better." Raphael said with a sigh of relief.

"Now, we've just got to focus on spending time with her, whether individually or as a group, and we need to get her in a better place, emotionally." Donatello's voice was soft as he shook his head, "I mean, it's kind of our fault she's in this state in the first place."

Raphael nodded sadly and thanked his brother, before heading out of the lab and towards where his girlfriend was sitting with Leonardo on the couch. As he got closer, he heard them both talking in quiet voices, and he could see Amelia placing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table. He rolled his eyes as a fond smile broke out onto his face. Only Amelia would have the patience to sit and do a jigsaw puzzle with Leonardo.

He stepped up to the couch where they were sitting and crouched next to the arm of it where Amelia was, looking at the puzzle. It was of a Christmas scene, which was pretty appropriate, considering that Christmas was coming up in the next week or so. She looked at him and smiled, gently running a slender hand over his bandanna covered head which made him want to let out a contented sigh. She probably had the most gentle and soothing touch that he'd ever come across.

"Hey." She said sweetly, turning back to the puzzle, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Raphael replied with a grin of his own, "Uh, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Amelia looked a little worried as the words left his lips, and she bit her own as she steadily got up from the couch, allowing Raphael to take her hand as he also got to his feet. Leonardo watched her with concern as she and Raphael slowly made their way towards the stairs. It was unnerving to actually see her collarbone protruding more than usual, and as he'd been sitting beside her and watched her picking up pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, he'd noticed the joint in her wrist was more prominent too. It was awful to think that none of them had realised how ill she was.

As Raphael led her into their room, he closed the door behind them and walked her to their bed, his hand still holding hers tightly. She brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and swallowed thickly, before pulling the pyjama pants that she was still wearing back up from where they'd almost slipped down her upper thighs, and sitting beside him on their bed. He studied her thin form, her pale face coated with an expression of concern and slight upset.

"So, Donnie told me what's going on with you and your health right now." Raphael said quietly, keeping her hand held tightly in his own, "And he said it's a relatively easy fix, but I know that the emotional side of things isn't necessarily an easy fix."

Amelia didn't say anything. She just sat patiently and listened, her blue eyes bearing into his intense green ones as he gently stroked her hand with his thumb, his other hand resting over the exposed part of hers. She was happy to sit there quietly and hear what he had to say, regardless of how worried she clearly was about it. That was one of the things he loved the most about her. She was so patient and so unassuming that he knew he could tell her anything and she'd hear him out fully before responding to him.

"So, I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to do everything in my power to try and help you get better... Up here..." He moved his left hand to gently brush against her temple, "And in here."

He lowered his hand and rested his index finger over her heart briefly before removing it again, watching her cautiously as she swallowed thickly again, as though fighting a wave of emotion. He smiled wistfully at her, moving closer to her as she lowered her gaze, and then scooping her thin frame up into his arms, settling her on his lap. He couldn't begin to imagine how hard this must've been for her. Accepting help made Amelia feel guilty, like she was putting people out, and he had his suspicions that her parents probably made her feel that way when she was growing up. He didn't exactly want to think about that right now, because he knew it would make him angry, and Amelia didn't need that right now.

"The only thing I want right now, is for you to feel better. Okay?" He whispered, "And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"I love you, Raphael." Amelia's voice was shaky and quiet, but the words meant the world to him.

"I love you too, darlin'." He replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple, "Things are gonna get better, I promise."

Amelia could only nod, because she felt too emotional to do anything else. She'd already accepted that she was depressed, and that she was sick. But to hear Raphael so willingly vow to help her recover and get through it was so touching, and it filled her with an overwhelming sense of relief that she didn't have to deal with this alone any more. At the same time, though, she felt guilty. She didn't want him to have to dedicate himself to helping her get better, when she'd probably been overreacting about all this in the first place. He had other things that he needed to be doing.

"It's gonna be okay." He said softly, kissing her temple once again, "Remember what I told you two years ago? Your problems are my problems. We're a team, and we're gonna work through it together."

He'd grown so much as a person over the past two years. While he used to not always be able to tell her how he felt, unless he was in a state of emotional distress, now, he found it much easier. He'd learned over that time how best to comfort her, and he'd learned about how to open up to her and say these sorts of things to her without feeling self conscious or embarrassed. He still had his moments where he struggled with words, and it was likely that he always would, but sometimes he just knew exactly what to say to make her feel a million times better.

She nodded at him with a genuine, warm smile, and she then leaned forward to tenderly and lovingly kiss his lips. After a brief moment, as their eyes closed, Raphael then deepened the kiss, holding her protectively in his arms as her delicate hands gently cradled his face, her mouth moving languidly with his.

He'd missed being intimate with her. The three month separation had driven them both crazy, but he knew, even though all he wanted to do was to lay her on that bed and make love to her, that he had to wait. He didn't want to take advantage of her while she was in this emotional state, and he would rather wait for her to initiate anything like that before he took things any further.

As they broke their kiss, Amelia wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck and eased herself forward to embrace him for a brief moment, before she got up off his lap and went to collect her pile of clothes that was sitting on top of the Ottoman.

"I'm gonna take a shower." She said sweetly, heading for the bedroom door, "I'll see you downstairs."

Raphael nodded and got up off the bed, before following her out of the room, watching her as she slowly headed towards the bathroom, pulling the pyjama pants back up around her hips as she went. He shook his head sadly as he watched her slowly walk into the bathroom, trying not to think about the sight of her having to keep hold of her clothes so that they wouldn't fall down. How had she become this unwell without them noticing? The question had been plaguing him since he saw her the night before, and he realised he would probably never know the answer, but he knew damn well that the guilt wouldn't leave any of them for a long time. Steadily, Raphael headed down the stairs, trying to concentrate on the positive news that Donatello had given him earlier.

' _Stop worrying... It's a pretty easy fix. Donnie told you so...'_ He thought to himself, shaking his head as he went to join his brothers in the living area.

Leonardo and Donatello were gingerly moving the half finished jigsaw to Leonardo's room, where it wouldn't be destroyed by Michelangelo when he was running around the lair hyperactive, which they knew would happen at some point during the day. The youngest turtle was currently transfixed by some stupid horror movie that was playing on the television, so Raphael knew it was probably the best time to move the jigsaw out of the way. Splinter was watching the film with a keen interest, a cup of tea nursed between his paws.

"What crap are you watching now, Mikey?" Raphael asked, plopping down on the sofa and stretching out into a lounging position.

"Uh, dude... This is _Killer Klowns From Outer Space_."

"Yeah, and Amelia's got coulrophobia." Raphael warned him, "Phobia of clowns. So, you'd better turn that off before she gets down here."

After about ten minutes of Raphael glaring holes into the back of his little brother's head, who'd continued watching the movie despite what Raphael had said about Amelia, Michelangelo finally relented and leaned forward with a disgruntled sigh, reaching for the remote. He didn't want to stop watching the movie, but he didn't want to upset Amelia either. She was already dealing with enough problems because of them.

"So, what are we gonna watch instead?" The youngest turtle asked, switching off the movie, "She isn't gonna ask to watch one of those weird olden days romance things, is she...?"

"Period dramas, Mikey." Leonardo said as he approached the living area, "They're called period dramas."

"I thought period dramas were those things Amelia has once a month." Michelangelo said with a confused expression, earning a very annoyed look from his father and older brothers.

"No, numb-nuts. They're just called periods." Raphael growled, "Now, shut the hell up."

"Why are we talking about periods?"

At the sound of Amelia's voice, the turtles all startled and glanced up at her to see her standing behind the couch, a smirk present on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was wearing a red sweater, and black yoga pants now, rather than her overly big pyjamas. The clothing still looked baggy, but it didn't look as bad as before.

"Mikey got confused between menstruation and period dramas." Donatello offered, plopping himself down on one of the newly bought beanbag chairs, next to Michelangelo, while Leonardo sat himself in an arm chair, "We were just guessing what you'd like to watch, since Mikey's just finished watching _Killer Klowns From Outer Space_."

"Oh... Um... Have you downloaded anything new?" Amelia asked, allowing Raphael to take her hand and lead her around the couch so that she could lounge against his form as he stretched out across the soft furniture.

"I did download new ones, but they're all horror." Donatello answered with a shrug.

"I don't think horror is a genre that your father likes." Amelia said with a smile, looking over at Splinter who was drinking his tea.

"I have been waiting to watch _The Others_." Splinter admitted, setting his tea back on the end table next to his chair, "Donatello downloaded it for me."

"Oooh! That one's _so_ good!" Amelia beamed, "It's _very_ clever. You'll like it."

"Okay, well, I think that's settled." Leonardo chuckled, "I'm going to get some drinks and snacks."

"I'll come and help." Amelia offered, slowly easing herself up from where she was laying against Raphael's chest, "Okay, what does everyone want?"

Splinter asked for another cup of tea, Donatello asked for coffee, and Michelangelo and Raphael asked for Orange Crush, so Amelia and Leonardo went to go and get the drinks, along with a variety of treats. Raphael sat up on the couch and watched her carefully as she headed to the kitchen with his brother, before he settled back against the sofa, feeling satisfied that she was alright. He worried about her constantly, and he'd done so since they got together two years before. She was his responsibility, and his priority, and all he wanted was for her to be safe, happy and healthy.

After quickly getting drinks and treats together, the pair returned to the living area and handed out the drinks, while Donatello got the movie ready. As the group grabbed snacks, including Splinter, Amelia got herself settled between Raphael's legs, only for him to cover her with the blanket that he'd made her for their first anniversary. Leonardo sat himself in his chair, and watched his younger brother try to make the young woman comfortable in his arms with a small grin. It was good to see things starting to get back to normal.

When everyone was comfortable, Donatello started the movie, and then Amelia turned herself onto her stomach, resting her head on Raphael's plastron as he tenderly rubbed her back. He had a feeling that she was tired and wanted to rest, which was why she'd rested on her stomach. It wasn't an unusual thing for her to do, and that was why there was an emergency pillow kept the shelf at the bottom of the coffee table. Raphael reached down with a large hand and grabbed it, before easing it under Amelia's body as she lifted herself up from his plastron.

Splinter watched curiously as Raphael made sure Amelia was comfortable with the pillow, before he returned to gently caressing her back. Amelia had slept like this many times, and they'd learned to put a pillow down the length of Raphael's torso to make sure her breasts were resting on something soft, rather than his hard plastron. He smiled at his son's attentiveness, and he could already see that Amelia was falling asleep, thanks to the soothing manner in which Raphael was rubbing her back.

Father and son shared a look for a brief moment, and Splinter smiled at him proudly, before turning his attention back to the movie. It wasn't unusual for Raphael to be so attentive to Amelia in front of his brothers, and since he'd gotten over the initial embarrassment of being seen as a ' _soft touch_ ', as Michelangelo called him, he'd been more comfortable with displaying his affection for his girlfriend in front of his family.

The movie was both atmospheric and scary, and the ending had been a shock to all of them, but through all the loud bangs, the intense music and the nerve-wracking finale, Amelia slept, safely nestled in in the warmth of Raphael's arms. The turtles and their father smiled fondly at Amelia as they started to clean up after the movie ended, who was nuzzling into the pillow as Raphael pulled the blanket up and over her shoulders. She looked so peaceful and so content, that no-one had the heart to wake her or move her.

The turtle felt his phone vibrating on his belt, so he reached under the blanket to remove it and take a look at the message that had come through. It was April, texting him to make sure that everything was okay between Amelia and the rest of the family, so he replied with a yes, and then he thanked her for taking care of Amelia the night before. The only human he would ever trust to take care of Amelia was April, and he was so grateful that she'd actually taken his girlfriend in and had looked after in her time of need.

In his arms, the young woman stirred, clearly woken by the phone vibrating. She looked up at him with bleary blue eyes, offering him a small smile as she reached up and tried to smooth out her messy hair.

"Did I miss the movie?"

"Yeah." Raphael's voice was deep and gentle as he ran his hand over her hair as well, "But, I bet you feel better for the sleep, huh?"

Amelia nodded and slowly sat herself up, stretching her arms in the air as she let out a large yawn. The blanket fell from her body and pooled around her waist, which she then picked up in her dainty hands, folded and placed over the back of the couch. That was Amelia all over, ever neat and tidy, no matter where she was and what she was doing. Raphael watched as she eased herself up from the sofa, but it was obvious by the way that her face paled that she wasn't feeling well.

He hated to see her like this. It was so unusual for someone who was usually glowing with smiles and laughter to look so pale and weak. It made Raphael's chest hurt to know that she was sick, and that he hadn't even remotely noticed that she was _this_ unwell. It hurt even more that he and his family were half of the reason that she was in this state in the first place.

"Babe...?" He got to his feet straight away and steadied her as she swayed a little where she stood, closing her eyes as she felt sick to her stomach.

The dizzy spells were awful. They were so nauseating that Amelia could barely stand up after them sometimes. Luckily, Raphael had taken her by the arms and was holding her up, allowing her the time to take deep breaths and get through it without losing her balance. She knew he was worried, and she felt terrible that he was feeling like that. There wasn't much she could do to make him better, apart from maybe trying to reassure him, which she did.

"It's okay... It's passing." She promised him, wrapping her fingers around his large hand gently and squeezing to comfort him.

Raphael shared a worried look with Splinter, before he let out a tired sigh and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, resting against her for a few moments. It made the rat's heart ache to see Raphael so concerned, and to see Amelia so unwell. It was even more painful to think that his narrow-mindedness had almost completely ripped the family apart. How could he have lost so much focus on the most important part of his life?

He could only hope that now she was back at home, things would begin to change for the better.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	5. Plans

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! Again, thanks so much for the support with this fic so far. I'm glad that people are enjoying it! If you check out my Deviantart, I've done a painting of Amelia :D Just her head, and it's not fantastic, but she's done. I'm under **_RosesandThorns666_** and it's my latest painting, if you want to take a look. Oh, and I should put in a _**warning**_ for **_adult content_**. I know that this chapter is a little shorter than the rest have been so far, but there won't be a chapter in this story that's any less than 3500 words, I swear. Most of them are around the 4000 word mark :) I do a lot of editing in between, so some chapters end up longer than they originally started out.

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks again, hun! I really do appreciate the consistent support. It means the world to me.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** The only answer I can offer is that I let my brain run away with me. I just let the words come out. _Then_ I go through to see what I can improve, add, remove or just edit. Thanks for the continued reviews! I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Five: Plans }**

The next couple of months passed by quite slowly.

The main priority for the boys was to get Amelia feeling more like her old self, and much to everyone's surprise, she was putting her weight back on quickly, and she was soon looking much healthier, and happier. Raphael's love for her had grown so much over the past few weeks, even though he thought that such a thing was impossible, and an idea had been brewing in his mind for a while that he'd spent many a night mulling over.

It had taken some serious planning on his part, but he finally felt as though he was ready to carry out the plan in question. Finding the right time, however, was proving to be more difficult as the days passed. He had hoped to put the plan into action on this particular night. But, unfortunately, with those beautiful, plump lips of Amelia's travelling across the expanse of his neck the way they were at that moment, the plan could definitely wait a little longer.

If there was one thing that Amelia had learned over the past two years, it was that Raphael's body was a big plane of sensitivity. He would react to the slightest of touches in the most wonderful ways when he was aroused, and every encounter they shared was full of passion, no matter whether it was gentle, rough or anything in between.

He felt her pull away as she then went to kiss his lips again, her white cotton nightdress riding up her smooth thighs as she sat in his lap, his three-fingered hands squeezing the soft skin which brought the lightest of moans from Amelia's slender throat. Their kiss deepened, striking both of them with a surge of need that brought Amelia's hands to Raphael's face, her hips moving slowly against his.

His hands then moved to rest against her waist and back as he pulled her even closer, just as she broke the kiss to look at him, her eyes blown with lust. Their first time in three months seemed to have sent them into a craze, considering every night for the past several of weeks had been spent like this, whether it was before Raphael's patrols or after.

"You're wandering." She told him, brushing her fingers against his face gently, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, baby... It's more than okay." He let out a deep laugh, one that sent pulses of pleasure straight between her legs, "You're so damn beautiful."

"So you keep telling me." She giggled, giving him another gentle kiss as she played with the ties of his bandanna, "Make love to me, Raph."

The words gave Raphael a burst of confidence that he'd never really felt before, and he pulled her into his arms to kiss her again, curling his fingers in the back of her hair . He lifted her upward with one arm and turned her over, settling her back against the thick pillows of their bed as he continued to kiss her, his hands moving the nightdress upward slowly.

With a half-hearted roll of her eyes, Amelia took the fabric from his hands and sat up, throwing the garment over her head before carelessly tossing it to another part of the room, leaving her naked beneath Raphael's hulking form. The turtle grinned, reaching up to remove the bandanna from his head. Just as he was about to untie it, there was an urgent sounding knock at their bedroom door. Amazingly, they hadn't been caught while in this state of undress before, but there had been some near misses thanks to Michelangelo, who didn't seem to understand boundaries... At all.

"Dude!" Raphael had to suppress a growl at the sound of his youngest brother's voice, " _Dude_! Leo told me to come get you for patrol. Apparently some Purple Dragons are planning on robbing a bank tonight, and we gotta stop 'em."

Raphael looked down at Amelia, who slowly edged her way out from underneath him to grab her fluffy pink bathrobe from the wardrobe door. She gave him a comforting smile as she slid the robe on, before slowly moving back to kiss his cheek. She understood that the patrols were still a necessity, and she didn't mind them as much now that she got to spend much more time with Raphael and the others.

"It's fine." She said sweetly, kissing his lips gently as she handed him his belt, "Go. I'll be waiting when you get back."

Raphael smirked at her before pulling her back into a deep, passionate kiss as Michelangelo's voice grew more frantic from the other side of the door. He released her, and as she watched him with glazed eyes and swollen lips, he fastened his belt and marched towards the door, trying not to sound too irritated with the youngest turtle.

"Alright, numb-nuts! I'm coming!"

The large turtle left the bedroom, following his younger brother downstairs. Amelia leaned against the bedroom doorway, giving the turtles a wave as they headed out through one of the exits next to her office which sat under the stairway, before she turned back into the bedroom, and closed the door behind her. She went to choose a movie, and then she decided she was going to enjoy a nice, hot cup of tea with it, while she tried to calm herself down from the passionate embrace that she and Raphael had just been locked in.

In the tunnels, the brothers broke into a run, and as Raphael and Leonardo moved at the front of the group, they heard Michelangelo calling out behind them. He was still aroused to high hell but he wasn't angry about having to leave his girlfriend behind like that. The couple both knew that he would probably return from patrol, wanting to pick up where they'd left off.

"Dude, did I just interrupt you and Amelia doing the nasty?"

"Shut up, Mikey!" The three older turtles yelled in unison, continuing their journey towards their target.

Once at the closest manhole to the bank in question, the brothers climbed out and onto the street, before quickly making their way up the building next to the manhole and taking to the rooftops for the remainder of their journey. It took them twenty minutes to get remotely close to their destination, and they were starting to worry that they wouldn't get there in time. Thievery wasn't uncommon for Purple Dragons, but it was common knowledge that the gang was too stupid to pull off a bank robbery. Despite this, the turtles wanted to stop them before they even walked in the door.

"How long do we have, Donnie?" Leonardo asked, hearing the sound of his brother firing up his watch behind them.

"Five minutes before the Dragons are due to show up!" Donatello called back, studying the information that he'd retrieved by hacking the computers of the gang members that had planned the robbery, "It's the next building after this one!"

The brothers leapt onto the roof of the bank, and peered over the edge, waiting for any sign of the Purple Dragons. In the silence, Raphael found his mind wandering to the plan that he'd spent a lot of time coming up with. He was in two minds about whether or not it was a good idea, and since they had a few minutes to spare, he thought that he'd ask his brothers about it. It wasn't like they wouldn't find out about it sooner or later, anyway.

"So, guys..." He cleared his throat, "I'm gonna ask Amelia to marry me..."

"Whoa! Really?!" Michelangelo's face lit up with joy.

"Are you serious?" Donatello asked, his face graced with a bright smile.

"How are you gonna do it?" Leonardo asked, looking half overjoyed and half stunned.

"Uh... Yeah, really. I'm _very_ serious, and I have a plan." Raphael replied as he and his brothers went back to keeping watch, "I'm gonna take her onto a rooftop with a great view of the city, then ask her. I can't get her a ring for obvious reasons, so I figured I'd give her a piece of this..."

He indicated his bandanna, now starting to feel uncomfortable at the occasional gawk of shock he was getting from his brothers.

"...To tie round her ring finger." He could now feel the heat rising in his face, "A piece of me is the best I can do."

"When? When are you gonna do it?" Michelangelo asked, hearing Leonardo shush him harshly from his position near the edge of the roof.

A car pulled into a nearby side street, and then four men emerged from the side-street, all of them wearing the mark of the Purple Dragons somewhere on them, whether it was an emblem on their t-shirt or jacket, or a tattoo. Leonardo raised his hand into the air and then motioned for the others to prepare to attack the gang as they approached the bank. They weren't really going to go in through the front door, were they?

"These guys can't be _this_ stupid, surely..." Raphael murmured, watching Leonardo shake his head.

"Keep an eye out. It could be a trap... Raph, you and Donnie go first, Mikey and I will keep watch to make sure that no-one else shows up." Leonardo instructed, "Take them into the alley next to us so we don't attract attention."

Raphael and Donatello nodded before moving to scale the side of the building, and Leonardo watched proudly as they stealthily dragged two of the Dragons into the alley, startling the other two. It became clear very quickly that they had been intending to just walk through the front door, so Leonardo and Michelangelo moved down to deal with the other two.

"So, are you getting down on one knee, or...?" Donatello asked as he hit the Dragon he was fighting in the face.

"Have you thought about what you're gonna say?" Leonardo asked, as he dragged his own Dragon into the alley way before flinging him into a wall.

"What are you gonna do after you're married?" Michelangelo asked, "Are you gonna try and have kids?"

" _Kids_?!" Raphael asked, his eyes wide as he kicked the Dragon he'd been dealing with into a nearby dumpster, "Are you high?!"

"What?" Michelangelo asked, whacking the Dragon he was fighting over the head with his nunchuks, "I was just asking!"

"Kids...? I can't think about that right now." Raphael growled as the brothers finally managed to incapacitate the gang members who now lay strewn in the alleyway, "L-Let's just get these guys tied up and make that anonymous call, huh?"

He was feeling a new kind of nervousness that he'd never felt before, and the thought of asking Amelia to marry him now didn't seem to be such a good idea. The brothers sensed the sudden change in his demeanour, which earned Michelangelo a glare from both Leonardo and Donatello. If Raphael was going to commit to Amelia like this, they didn't need Michelangelo putting him off or spoiling it.

"Don't listen to Mikey." Leonardo said as Donatello handed him the rope that he'd been carrying on his shell, "Just take things one step at a time. You want to show Amelia that you're prepared to commit to her right?"

"Yeah..." Raphael breathed out, feeling his chest tighten as he looked at his older brother who was now tying the rope around the unconscious men, "She's kind of a forever deal for me..."

"There." Donatello said as he dragged one of the men closer to Leonardo, "Tell her exactly what you just said. B-But don't say, _'kind of'_... Say that she _is_ a forever deal for you."

"R-Right..." Raphael said quietly, moving to help Leonardo.

"When are you gonna ask her?" Michelangelo asked, dragging the other unconscious man towards them.

"Every time I get the guts up to do it, _something_ gets in the way." Raphael muttered, "Look, I wanna wait a little while until I know that she's definitely in a better place before I ask her..."

"Listen, if you're anxious, we could come with you." Donatello offered, "For moral support, maybe?"

The idea seemed to rattle Raphael even more as Leonardo went to make the anonymous call to the police, but Donatello put his hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly, while Michelangelo was tying off another layer of rope around the unconscious gang members.

"Okay, I know we're freaking you out. Just do whatever you want to do in your own time." The lankier turtle said with a slightly awkward grin, "But, I don't think you have anything to be worried about. She'll say yes."

Raphael gave his brother a slightly anxious smile. Just the thought of asking Amelia that question terrified him. But, if she agreed to be his wife, it'd make him happier than he could probably imagine. He loved her so much, and he wanted to prove to her that he could commit to her in that way. He wanted to bring her into his family properly, and to truly make her his.

"Really?" He asked, his voice low, "You got more faith than me."

"Then, have a little more faith." Donatello shrugged, offering his brother a brighter, more confident smile this time.

"Guys? We gotta move." Leonardo's voice reached the brothers' ears, causing them to begin their ascent to the rooftops.

While he felt like a weight had been lifted from him now that he'd told his brothers, Raphael couldn't help but feel that anxiety settle back into the pit of his stomach again. If she refused him, it would break his heart. All he could do was hope for the answer he wanted, and take things from there. The only thing he wanted then and there, was to go home and back to the arms of his loving girlfriend. His girlfriend who would soon, hopefully, be his fiancée, and then his wife.

It didn't take the turtles long to find a manhole cover, and one after they other, they leapt into the sewers, breaking into a fast sprint towards home. Raphael was in a rush to get there, like he was after most patrols. He just wanted to be back in Amelia's presence again, since her absence made him feel like he'd lost a limb.

When they arrived at the lair about twenty minutes after, the brothers found themselves faced with an empty living area. Leonardo went straight to the dojo to let Splinter know that they were back, Michelangelo headed for the fridge to get some snacks before he settled down to watch some movies with Donatello, and Raphael was headed straight for the stairs to go and see Amelia.

He opened the bedroom door to find her laying in bed in the nightdress she'd put on for him earlier, her face peaceful and serene as she slept with the remote for their television in her hand. Raphael looked to see that she'd been watching _When Harry Met Sally_ , but she'd fallen asleep half way through. It was pretty late, and he knew that Amelia had been working longer hours to get her book finished, which was making her tired.

"What time do you call this?" Her voice was thick with sleep as she cracked an eye open to look at him, "I thought you guys were patrolling tonight."

"Nah, just the bank thing." Raphael replied, smiling at her warmly, "It's taken care of. No biggie."

"Good." Amelia said sweetly, grimacing when she saw the television, "Ugh... I missed half the movie..."

"We can watch it together, if you want." Raphael offered, closing the bedroom door before stepping closer to the bed.

"No, honey, I'm too tired." The young woman said with a shake of her head, turning the television off with the remote as Raphael started to remove his gear, "Come to bed."

Raphael gave her that smirk that turned her insides to jelly, and she blinked up at him with a beautiful smile on her face as he started to remove his gear. She loved that smirk. It made him look so handsome and sexy all at the same time, but when it was followed with the deep tone of voice that he was about to use, it drove her insane. He was soon standing before with nothing but his bandanna still tied around his head, and his belt in his hand.

"Too tired to continue where we left off, baby?" He asked her, placing the belt with the rest of his gear on the Ottoman at the end of the bed.

She smiled at him teasingly, stretching her arms over head as she feigned a yawn. She rubbed at her eyes and then settled back against the pillows, letting out an overly dramatic sigh.

"Maybe..." She said sweetly, "You'll have to come over here and find out."

Raphael grinned brightly at her as she started to giggle, and he wasted no time in getting under the covers with her, before he leaned down to press his lips lovingly to hers. He steadily moved on top of her, feeling the arousal hit him almost immediately as he ran his hand up her thigh and found that she wasn't wearing any underwear. He _loved_ it when she didn't wear underwear. It was sexy as hell, and it meant he could run his hands over the smooth skin of her hips and her backside. Now, he was painfully turned on, and his hands were busy exploring the exposed skin that he loved so much.

Amelia reached up for the ties of his bandanna as he shoved the lower hem of her nightdress further upward, and she quickly worked to remove the red cloth from him so she could see his face properly. Those beautiful eyes of his met hers as they broke their kiss, and as the material was removed from him, he leaned down to kiss her neck, cautiously slipping a large hand between her legs.

It became clear to Amelia in that moment, since he wasn't bothering to fully strip her, that he wasn't in any mood for foreplay or games. Neither was she, thankfully, and as he ran his fingers over her entrance, they could both tell that she was more than ready for him. He removed his hand to tenderly draw her closer by her hips, and as he lowered his tail, Amelia leaned up to gently kiss him again.

He positioned himself between her legs, and as he lined himself up against her, he felt her hands rest against his waist, her fingernails digging into his skin. He slowly, gently pushed forward, feeling her angle her hips, as usual to accommodate him. Once her was inside of her body, he pushed forward even further, noticing the way her head fell back against the pillow in response.

She was so _beautiful_. It was like looking at an angel... _His_ angel. He felt his heart clench in his chest as a jolt of need and lust shot through his stomach, he settled himself on top of her, allowing her to take some of his weight as he took her left hand in his right, pinning it above her head. Her free hand rested against his chest as he moved in and out of her, and she then moved it to the back of his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

His left hand was hooked over her left shoulder, and he was using his left arm to support himself and to also cradle her at the same time. The soft cotton of her nightdress felt warm against his plastron, and as the two of them moved together, he could feel the hem of it brushing against his thighs, where their legs met. He found something incredibly arousing about making love to her like this. Even though he'd seen her body a thousand times, to have it covered this way left it to his imagination. Feeling her was so much more arousing than seeing her sometimes.

He heard a gasp leave Amelia's lips as he started to move faster, changing the angle of his movements. He could feel her muscles starting to tighten around him, and as she let out soft sounds against his neck, Raphael closed his eyes as he felt the need to reach orgasm become almost overwhelming.

He heard high pitched whimpers and short, sharp breaths, and then he felt Amelia contracting and relaxing around him as a flood of wetness washed over him, which then brought him to his own climax. Amelia gripped his hand tightly in her own as her other hand cupped the back of his head to pull him in for a kiss, and the two of them rode through it together, eventually settling to a stop. Raphael steadily lowered himself so that he was rested against her, and then he eased himself off of her, laying down to her right.

Amelia looked across at him as he caught his breath, and she moved herself closer to him, settling into his arms as he began to play with her honey-blonde hair. There was no question in Raphael's mind as he looked at the young woman, studying her deep blue eyes, her angelic features, and that beautiful smile, that he wanted to commit himself wholly to her.

"I love you." She told him, curling into his embrace, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." He answered, holding her close to him as he kissed her forehead, "More than you know."

Amelia smiled and let out a dreamy sigh as Raphael reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, and as the room fell into darkness, Raphael rested his head against hers with a sigh of his own, trying to brace himself for the proposal that he decided he was going to make to her the following night.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	6. Commitment

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Greetings, one and all! For those of you who stuck with me through _Secrets_ , and who are still sticking with me through this fic as well, thank you so much! It really does mean the world to me to know that people do follow my stories, and I'm glad that people are enjoying this so far!

 **rinpup14:** Thanks so much for the fave, follow and review! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying the fic!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for another fab review, hun! It's good to know that you're enjoying this story and I hope you continue to enjoy it as it progresses!

 **The Silvernote:** I'm so grateful that you still leave me a review, even though you already know a fair amount about this fic! Thanks so much hun!

 **felicia2235:** Thanks again for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Six: Commitment }**

As a way of making up for the lack of second anniversary celebrations, Raphael had taken Amelia out onto the rooftops to get a view of the special Valentine's Day light display that had been put throughout Central Park.

They sat together, with Amelia wrapped up in Raphael's arms, looking at the gorgeous arrangements of heart shaped lights that covered the trees and pathways of the park. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments as they took in the scenery before them, and Raphael was desperately, _desperately_ trying to get up the courage to put his proposal plan into action. Amelia was sitting next to him, completely unassuming, while he was trying not to lose his breakfast all over the rooftop because of the nerves.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, leaning into him as an icy wind wrapped itself around them, "Baby, you're shivering... We need to put the blanket on."

Raphael wasn't shivering due to the cold alone. He was also trembling due to anxiety and nausea induced by his nervousness. He helped Amelia to wrap them both in the blanket he'd made for her, and she settled back into his arms again, looking down at the lights. He took a deep breath in, knowing that he couldn't leave it much longer, or he'd just give up on his plan entirely. He didn't want to keep working himself up like this and then not following through with his plan, because it wasn't healthy for him.

"Sweetheart, I need to talk to you about something..."

 _Great_. Her expression became solemn all of a sudden as the words caused her to worry, which wasn't Raphael's intention, but he was quick to reassure her by taking her hand in his own and offering her what he hoped was a nice smile, rather than a nervous one. She seemed to relax at this and offered him a nervous smile of her own, squeezing his hand tenderly. She was always so patient, and he loved her so much more for that fact. She gave him the time he needed to get things off his chest, rather than being pushy, or rushing him through things that he found difficult to talk about it.

"Sure..." She breathed out, "What is it?"

"Okay... We've been together for two years..." Raphael began, clearing his throat, "And all I've ever wanted to do during that time is love you, and make you happy."

Amelia nodded and smiled at him, feeling him tighten the grip he had on her hand. This was by far the scariest thing he'd ever done. He'd fought and defeated Shredder, saving an entire city, he'd battled through bullets and bodies to save the lives of his brothers, and he'd almost fallen to his death from a skyscraper, but none of that had been as scary as this; laying his heart and soul on the line for someone who could easily destroy both of them forever.

"I know the past six months have been tough for you... Like, really tough." Raphael continued, failing to hide the tremor of nerves in his deep voice, "And I've been thinking really hard about our relationship, and about how I haven't exactly done much to show you how much I love you, lately."

"Raph..." Amelia breathed, a frown coming to her face as she took in his words.

"I _do_ love you... So, _so_ much." Raphael cut her off, swallowing thickly, "I can't imagine my life without you. You're a forever deal for me, you know?"

Amelia's eyes widened and then started to fill with tears. The look on her face was one of pure shock and surprise, but she didn't say anything. Her head was spinning as she tried to concentrate on what he'd just said. Was he about to do what she thought he was going to do?

"I can't give you much, I know that." Raphael said quietly, his own eyes sparkling with emotion, "But, I can offer you my heart, my home, and my love..."

He reached to his belt and pulled out a thin piece of material, that Amelia realised had been cut from his bandanna. She swallowed hard, meeting his eyes again as he held the material in his fingers carefully.

"I can't give you a church, I can't give you the fairytale wedding you've probably always dreamed of, and I can't even give you a ring..." He breathed out, watching her face carefully as her chest started to heave with emotion, "But, I can give you... Well... Me..."

He saw her suddenly heave with a sob and he tried desperately to fight the lump that was in his own throat as he finally got round to asking the important question.

"Amelia... Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Amelia breathed, a huge, beautiful smile gracing her face as she hurriedly wiped her eyes, "Yes, of course I will!"

Raphael almost couldn't believe that she'd agreed, but a surge of joy rushed through his veins, and he wasted no time in tying the thin piece of material around her ring finger before he found himself with his arms wrapping around of his bride-to-be, who was now half laughing and half sobbing at the same time. He felt so happy. Happier than he ever believed he could feel. She was his fiancée now... She would soon be his wife. Could things get any better, right now?

The sudden sound of cheering came from the next rooftop, and the couple broke apart from their embrace to see Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter and April, all jumping up and down and hugging each other to celebrate Amelia and Raphael's engagement. Raphael didn't even have the damn heart to be angry about the fact that his brothers had followed him, with their father and April, no less. Instead, he pulled Amelia's attention back to him and kissed her so tenderly that it drew her further into him, and she held onto him tightly as she kissed him in return with all the passion she had, almost as if she was afraid to let him go.

"I love you so much." She whispered against his lips as he brushed her tears away with his thumb.

"I love you too." He promised her, "More than you're ever gonna know."

* * *

Back at the lair after the proposal, the family were all sat excitedly discussing plans for the wedding ceremony between Raphael and Amelia. It was going to have a traditional set up, in terms of best man, bridesmaid and groomsman, someone to give Amelia away, and then the person who would perform the ceremony. Amelia and Raphael had promised to discuss what they wanted, but in terms of the ceremony itself, they just wanted a simple exchange of vows, and then a party afterwards for the small family. Even Vern was on the guest list.

April was discussing the matter of bachelor and bachelorette parties. Since the girls were seriously outnumbered by the boys, Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo had promised to attend both parties to offer support to both the bride and groom-to-be. Amelia and Raphael agreed that both parties should be held a week apart, and the last party would be at least a week before the wedding to avoid any danger of someone being ' _indisposed_ ' on the day of the ceremony.

Now that it was getting late, however, Leonardo took April home, and the others dispersed from the living area to get ready for bed. Raphael and Amelia headed up to their room hand in hand, and they both had looks of pure joy on their faces as they spoke gently to each other. Splinter watched his second eldest son as he led his future wife towards their bedroom, and he was bathed in the warmth of pride and joy as he saw the piece of material tied around Amelia's finger. Raphael had grown so much over the past two years, and the ageing rat could only hope that Raphael truly understood how lucky he was to have found such companionship with Amelia. Splinter never believed his boys would ever find love, yet here Raphael was, holding hands with his fiancée. As the pair disappeared into their room, Splinter let out a contented sigh, and made his way into his own room to settle down for the night.

Once in their room, Amelia hung up her outdoor clothes in her closet, and started to change into her pyjamas. Just as she put her clothing that she'd worn for their date into their laundry basket, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, and then a gentle hand brushed her honey-blonde hair away from her neck, before a familiar pair of lips softly pressed to the skin of her slender throat. She smiled warmly and leaned into the embrace, reaching up to cup the side of her lover's face carefully.

"You've made me so happy, Raph." She whispered, melting into his arms, "I can't believe we're getting married..."

"I can't believe you said yes." He replied, kissing her head gently, "I meant what I said. Every word. You _are_ a forever deal for me. I don't want a life without you in it. It wouldn't be worth living."

"Babe..." Amelia whispered, turning in his arms, "I'm not gonna leave you... And I'm sorry that I did three months ago. I shouldn't have."

She tenderly held his face in her dainty hands, and then leaned up to kiss his lips as he took one of her hands in his. They shared loving smiles, and then Raphael lowered his head to hers, their eyes closing as they breathed one another in.

"You're my world." She whispered, "My family, my home, and everything else."

Raphael let out a small huff of laughter. His heart was soaring, because he never believed in a million years that something like this would happen to him, but this beautiful woman had wholly given herself to him. She'd given up her _life_ for him. She truly was a blessing, not only for him, but his family as well.

"What did I ever do to deserve you, huh?" He asked her, pulling back to look at her.

"Shut up, you big goof." She scolded him half-heartedly, "Come on. It's late. We should get ready for bed."

"You go and do your stuff in the bathroom... I'll get us some water." Raphael whispered, kissing her forehead, "Bottle or glass?"

"Glass, please." Amelia replied sweetly, before heading out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom.

Raphael carefully folded back the thick duvet to make the bed look welcoming, and he then went to get them both a glass of water each. In the bathroom, Amelia brushed her hair, took her birth control pill, and then brushed her teeth. It was her last pill of the packet, so she knew that in a few days, her period would start, which would mean pain, bad moods, and a lot of discomfort for five days. Grumbling to herself, she got herself ready for bed, and then drifted back to the bedroom, where she found Raphael placing her favourite book on her pillow. Her bad mood was quickly lifted.

She steadily walked across the room with a smile on her face, placing a hand on his shell as he then wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She embraced him for a brief moment, planting a tender kiss on his plastron, before she went to get into bed.

"Honey, I've just taken my last pill." She said quietly as he started to remove his gear, "I'm just giving you a heads up that my evil twin will be coming for a visit."

Raphael let out a quiet chuckle and gently set his gear down on the Ottoman at the foot of their bed, shaking his head fondly. The darker side of Amelia's personality; the angry, irritable, snappy, overly emotional side, would often take over for a week during her time of the month. It was understandable. Anyone who had to put up with bad cramps, discomfort and simply feeling gross for five days, not to mention the mood swings, cravings, headaches, and God only knew what else, would sure as hell be grouchy about it.

"Thanks for the warning." He said softly, removing his bandanna, "I'm going to the bathroom."

Amelia got into bed and grabbed her book from the pillow as Raphael left the room, before getting comfortable against said pillows so that she could have some quiet time after the excitement of that evening. It had been lovely to have some time out of the lair with Raphael, but for him them to propose to her with something so beautiful...? It was amazing. She looked down at the piece of material tied around her ring finger. He'd given her a part of him, and it meant the world to her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she opened _Pride and Prejudice_ to where she last read up to, and settled down to enjoy some time with Elizabeth Bennet, and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Raphael returned about fifteen minutes later, smelling of the apple shower gel that Donatello had recently managed to create for the turtles to use. It was scented, but it was good for their skin, and didn't cause it to become irritated, like store bought products had previously. Amelia felt horrible for a month when she bought the brothers some shower gel, and they ended up with itchy or sore patches of skin for two weeks.

"Feel better?" She asked him, earning a soft hum in response, "Everything okay?"

It wasn't unusual for Raphael to grunt or hum in response rather than using words, but on this occasion, the tone of his voice had been a little off. He sometimes hated it that she could see through him so easily, because it meant that he had to face up to things that he wasn't really ready to face up to. On this occasion, however, he wasn't really worried about anything. He'd just been mulling over some ideas for the wedding as he'd been taking his shower. He climbed into bed beside her and sat up against the pillows, looking across at her beautiful face as it was illuminated in the glow of the bedside lamp.

"Do you think it would be appropriate for Dad to perform the ceremony?" He asked, "I mean, I don't know if you want him to give you away, but I'd really like it if he could be the one to marry us."

"I wanted that, too." Amelia said, looking up from her book as she marked where she was with her bookmark and closed it, "There is something I wanted to ask about Leo, though..."

"Sure." Raphael offered, watching her put the book back on the bedside table and turn towards him.

"I... I really want him to give me away." She said quietly, her eyes lowering to the mattress, "He's my oldest brother, and he's so protective of me. But, I don't know if you wanted him to be your best man..."

"Nah, I was gonna ask Donnie." Raphael replied with a shrug, "I kinda figured you might want Leo to give you away if Splinter couldn't. Besides, Donnie and I are pretty close. He's always been able to calm me down better than anyone else when I get angry, and he knows me better than the others do."

"Okay... So we've given jobs to Splinter, Leo and Donnie... I think April and Vern could be bridesmaid and groomsman." Amelia suggested, "Which leaves Mikey..."

"Why do we have to involve the human nerd?" Raphael asked with an irritated look.

"Because when I ran away three months ago, he actually gave me some _really_ good advice, and he comforted me." Amelia replied, letting out a heavy sigh, "He complimented our relationship, and his advice was what pushed me to call you at three in the morning to come and get me from April's place. I know he made that stupid joke, but that was well over a year ago now. He's apologised since."

"Only 'cause April made him." Raphael grunted, folding his arms across he chest.

"Look, I think you ought to be the bigger person here, and move past it." Amelia told him sternly, "He took good care of me three months ago, and he's not as bad as you think. He's just an arrogant idiot. That's all. You know, the most dangerous kind of idiot, but an idiot nonetheless."

"'Kay, fine." Raphael sighed, looking back at her, "So, what should Mikey do? He's gonna feel left out if we don't give him something important."

"Well, I was thinking he could be my maid of honour." Amelia suggested, "That, and ring bearer."

"Maid of honour?" Raphael started to laugh loudly, "Are you serious?"

"Yes! Lots of women have guys as maids of honour." Amelia replied, her face now graced with a smile, "He'd be the one with the responsibility of planning my bachelorette party, he could help me pick a dress, if I happen to have flowers, he can hold them for me while I say my vows, he'll be carrying the rings on a pretty cushion or something..."

"Rings?" Raphael asked, holding up his hand, "I can't wear a ring, babe. My fingers are too big."

"No, I know that." Amelia said with a small laugh, "I'm going to find a solution to that. I wanted to ask you about the rings, as well."

"What about them?" Raphael replied, smiling as she went to take the hand that had just been in the air.

"Well, when my grandparents died, they left me some stuff in their wills, other than the large sum of money. I have the odd photo album, some of their odds and ends... And their wedding rings." Amelia told him, beaming up at him, "Grandma Daisy's fits my hand perfectly... As for Grandpa Bobby-George's... I know it won't fit on your hand, but I'm going to try and find a way for you to be able to wear it... _Somewhere_."

"So, where are these rings?" Raphael asked her, watching her shrug sadly.

"I'm not so sure... I'm almost certain they're in those few boxes of their stuff that I have in my office, though." Amelia said with a sigh,"I'll have to look for them later."

"Are you sure you want to give me your grandfather's wedding ring?" Raphael asked her as she moved to settle against his chest, pressing his lips briefly to her forehead, "I know how important your grandparents were to you..."

"You and I are truly becoming family. What's mine is yours... And I think my grandparents would want this for us, and my grandfather would be proud for you to wear his wedding ring." Amelia said as she let out a contented sigh, "He'd be proud to know you, Raph. Honestly, he would."

"You think?" Raphael asked her, resting his chin on her head as she settled in his arms, "Despite what I am."

"Because of _who_ you are." Amelia whispered, reaching up to cup his face, "As long as you loved me and cared for me, he wouldn't care about how you look."

Raphael smiled, closing his eyes as he breathed in the coconut scent of her honey-blonde hair. This beautiful, kind, sweet woman was going to be his wife. His forever deal. It made him feel beyond happy, and as she started to fall asleep in his arms, Raphael carefully moved over her to turn out the bedside lamp, before he rearranged his pillows with one hand, and finally settled against them, with Amelia still in his arms.

"I love you, baby." He whispered, taking her hand in his own.

He felt her squeeze his hand gently, and her soft voice drifted through the darkness as sleep began to consume her.

"I love you, too."

* * *

The next morning, Raphael and Amelia decided to go and speak to their family individually, to ask each of them to take on the role that the couple had chosen for them. Splinter had been over the moon when Raphael had asked him to officiate, and he'd hugged both his son and his future daughter-in-law with emotion in those big dark eyes of his. He'd been truly pleased to hear that his son wanted him to take on such an important responsibility and he'd agreed to marry the two of them without hesitation.

When Donatello had been asked to be Raphael's best man, the younger turtle had also been quite emotional, almost as though he'd expected someone else (Leonardo, probably), to be asked to fulfil that role. He'd embraced his brother tightly for a quite a while, and it had been touching to see him so emotional about something that Raphael saw as being so simple. Amelia had been concerned for a while that Donatello wasn't going to let Raphael go, but eventually, he released his big brother, wiping a tear from his eyes with his thumb.

Then came Leonardo, who had been astounded by Amelia's request for him to give her away. He'd half expected her to ask Donatello, or even Michelangelo, rather than him. He knew, of course, that Splinter would've been asked to officiate, but he seriously didn't think Amelia would want him to give her away. Raphael could've sworn he saw tears in Leonardo's eyes when he'd drawn Amelia into a hug, promising her that he would give her away on the wedding day.

Michelangelo had been bursting with excitement at the prospect of being maid of honour, and ring bearer. He'd immediately started babbling on about bachelorette parties, flowers, dresses, decorations, and the conversation he was having with Amelia made Raphael wonder if his little brother was secretly very much in touch with his feminine side. It was so good to see how happy that one request had made him, and Amelia knew he would fulfil his duties to the best of his ability.

Amelia then went to visit April that afternoon, who had invited Vern over, considering Amelia wanted to speak to both of them. While Vern had overreacted (and not in a positive way) about the engagement initially, he soon found himself apologising for his behaviour to Amelia, and then accepting the role of groomsman. He also agreed to host the bachelor party for Raphael, and help Donatello plan it for him, since Donatello would probably have no idea where to begin with a bachelor party.

The date was set. The wedding would take place in the second week of March, giving Amelia and Raphael plenty of time to organise their wedding so that it could be as special as they wanted it to be. That evening, as Amelia and Michelangelo were looking through bridal magazines (more to humour Michelangelo rather than for Amelia's benefit), Raphael looked on fondly as his fiancée showed his younger brother all the enthusiasm that she possibly could for almost ten o'clock at night.

Yes... He was certain that things were definitely going to get better.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!  
**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	7. For the Better?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I wanted to start this fic by saying how stunned I am by the responses I'm getting. I can't tell you how pleased I am that people are enjoying this fic, and I'm so thankful for the feedback I'm getting! It really means the world, guys, it honestly does! So, I just want to make a point of saying that yes, this story has been completed and I won't be changing any of the plot, so when I wrote this chapter what must've been a month ago, I was struggling like you wouldn't believe to make the bachelorette and bachelor party scenes work, so I had to go with a brief mention of Amelia's instead. I will have to put in a _**warning**_ for _**issues relating to alcohol abuse**_ in this chapter. I just feel that this chapter works better the way I finished it, so I thought I'd better explain that first.

 **rinpup14:** Thanks for the review! The OC arc that this series belongs in only has one OC per story and sequel, so the stories are completely unconnected with each other, but they're in the same collection if that makes sense. So, there aren't any other pairings in the _**Secrets**_ arc, but Leo, Donnie and Mikey will be getting their own fics. There's a poll on my profile so you can vote to decide who you want to read about next, and the summaries for their stories are at the bottom of the first chapter of this fic. :) Thanks for the support, again!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** It really does mean a lot to me that you're consistently reviewing and reading, even though you're on a guest account, so thanks for taking the time to search the fic out to keep reading it. I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** I know you've been waiting for this fic for a while, and you've been so amazing while I've been writing it, so thanks a bunch, hun! It means so much to me!

 **felicia2235:** Lol I had the _funniest_ image of how Donnie would be around a stripper. Thanks so much for that comment, because the thought it gave me made me laugh harder than I have in a while. Thanks for the continued support too, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Seven: For the Better? }**

Amelia's bachelorette party was left in the hands of Michelangelo and April, and they'd spent a whole week planning it together in secret.

The young woman had really enjoyed herself, and her night had been brightened by the fact that her adoptive brothers, along with April, had donned white angel wings, white tutus, and silver halo headbands, which was April and Michelangelo's chosen costume for the party, along with pink sashes that had each of their individual roles printed on them in white letters.

Leonardo had looked the most adorable, just because he was clearly incredibly disgruntled and embarrassed about wearing a tutu. Donatello had been suffering the whole evening because the net tutu was irritating his skin, but he'd endured it for Amelia's benefit. Michelangelo, of course, looked gorgeous, and actually seemed to openly enjoy his costume, while April and Amelia both looked incredibly pretty in theirs.

They'd had wine, pizza, and they'd played silly party games, which Amelia had loved every minute of. The next morning, luckily, no-one was hung over, and Amelia found herself baking cookies in the kitchen, since Michelangelo had been literally begging her to make some. It was her personal Valentine's gift to the others, considering that the only other Valentine's Day gifts they received were from April, which apparently wasn't enough for the other three turtles.

Raphael was sat at the table, his eyes scanning over the various bridal magazines scattered across it. It was clear that Amelia was doing some wedding planning while she was baking. He didn't want her to spend a ton of money on a dress only for it to get ruined down in the sewer. He was worried that maybe she wouldn't be happy with their wedding day. It wouldn't be a long, drawn out affair like most weddings were. It wouldn't be anything like a normal wedding. No music, no photographs, no flower arrangements, no nice reception...

"So, uh... Have you picked a dress yet?" He asked carefully, eyeing her as she ran the back of a flour covered hand across her forehead.

"No." She answered with a grin, "April and I are going shopping in the next couple of weeks. I'm not getting anything too fancy, though. Two hundred dollars is my limit. And that'll be pushing it."

"Huh..." Raphael huffed, wetting his lips briefly, "Are you sure you're happy to have the wedding in the dojo?"

"Yeah." She said sweetly, "Of course. Mikey has some really awesome ideas about how we can decorate it."

"He's really taking well to this maid of honour stuff, huh?" Raphael chuckled, pulling one of the magazines closer to look at the kinds of dresses Amelia had her eye on, "Are you sure you don't want to get married somewhere else? Where you don't have to worry about your dress getting ruined...?"

"Raph, sweetheart, I don't want a big, fancy wedding." Amelia told him with a sigh, pausing her baking to look at him, "Honestly. I just want a ceremony with the people I love. The dress isn't _that_ important to me. I can find something that's both beautiful and suitable, I'm sure. I never liked those big dresses anyway."

Raphael swallowed hard as he looked into those beautiful eyes of hers, before nodding slowly in agreement. He still didn't feel sure that it was fair to take something from her that she'd probably been planning since she was a little girl, but he let the subject drop regardless. He looked at her, her hair tied up into a messy bun, her face, hands, apron and clothes spotted with flour, and he found himself so lost in how stunning a person she really was, not just in body, but in mind and heart as well. She still wore the red material around her ring finger every day, but during certain occasions, such as when she showered, or when she was carrying out an activity like the one she was partaking in at the moment, she would tie the thin band of material around the crucifix necklace she wore; the same one that her grandmother had left to her in her will.

"Okay." He finally said, "I just want you to be happy."

"I _am_ happy." Amelia said sweetly, offering him a gentle smile, "I'm marrying _you_. I'm happier than I ever thought I could be."

After a brief moment of silence, Raphael watched Amelia return to her baking, and after another small moment of internal conflict, he got out of his seat, and slowly walked over to her, approaching her from behind. Placing his hands gently on her hips, so as not to startle her, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"I love you, babe." He said in a low voice, slipping his arms around her waist to hold her, "I never thought anyone would love me like you do."

"Ditto." Amelia said quietly, blushing softly as she then turned in his arms to look at him, wrapping her slender arms around his neck, "The most important thing to me regarding the wedding is that you're the one I'm marrying. It's the beginning of a new chapter of our lives together."

He offered her a smile, but her expression fell solemn, causing his to do the same. He hated it when she looked like that, because he knew that something was worrying her. She'd done enough worrying and enough frowning over the past six months, without her getting like this about their wedding. She ducked her head, letting out a sigh as she rested her hands on his biceps.

"You won't leave me, will you?"

The words stunned him. If anyone should be asking that question, it should be him. She could have any man she wanted. He was the lucky one in this relationship, and he was the one who should be worried about that, not her.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked her, his tone gentle, "Darlin', you mean _everything_ to me. I'd never leave you."

He pulled her into his arms, not caring that she was covered in flour, embracing her lovingly. He smiled as she breathed him in and held onto him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. He couldn't believe that out of all his brothers, she'd chosen him. Donatello was a genius, Michelangelo was a big ball of fun, Leonardo was a strong, protective leader. Raphael was just the muscle. That was all he offered. No brains, no fun, no leadership. Just muscle.

"Stop it." She scolded him quietly, taking in his stunned expression, "You're thinking badly of yourself again. I can see it on your face. Stop it."

Raphael averted his eyes from hers. He _hated_ that she could read him like that. She'd learned very quickly as to what his facial expressions meant, and he hated the fact that he couldn't hide anything from her.

"What's on your mind?" She asked him, her baking seemingly forgotten.

"Why'd you pick me?" He asked her in return, the question causing her to visibly startle, "Out of all my brothers, why me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Her words mirrored the ones he'd used only moments ago, "Raphael... You saved my life! You protected me! You came back to me when I asked to see you again! I had feelings for you long before I met your brothers, so don't ask me stuff like that, okay? It's always been you. It's only ever been you."

"You're so beautiful when you're angry." He breathed, brushing a finger against the loose strand of hair that hung by the left side of her face.

She gave him a half-hearted look of annoyance, but she very rapidly lost the battle with her facial muscles and she let out a stunning smile. She playfully shoved him off of her and took the tray of cookies that was sitting on the counter, before going to move past him.

"Shut up." She muttered, still grinning brightly as she then approached the oven, "That one won't always work, you know."

Raphael grinned as she bent down to put the cookies in the oven, taking the time to admire the view of her backside. It had to be, undoubtedly, one of his most favourite parts of Amelia's body. The way she would gasp if he squeezed the soft flesh there when they were in bed together, and the little squeak she gave if he would lightly slap her on the backside if she was walking past him were what made it one of his most favourite parts of her.

"Stop staring at my ass." She said as she closed the oven door, "I have twenty minutes before I have to come back and check these, so I'm just going to get cleaned up."

"I wasn't staring." Raphael told her as she turned to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't lie to me." Amelia smirked, "I'll be back soon."

With a fond smile on his face, Raphael watched her move to head up the stairs, before he decided to go and join his brothers in the sitting area.

* * *

The night of Raphael's bachelor party came quickly, and Amelia was spending that night looking at potential wedding dresses with April, while Splinter quietly read in one of the arm chairs. Hopefully, the brothers would be home soon, and not too drunk. April and Amelia both had their concerns that Vern would get them all drunk and because they didn't drink much in the way of alcohol, Amelia didn't feel like going around the lair, cleaning up after the boys if they puked or anything else.

The regular cell phone next to Amelia's T-Phone began to ring, and the young woman looked at it, completely puzzled. Who'd be calling her at _this_ time of night? She handed April the magazine they were looking at, and she picked up the cell phone, seeing that it was her mother calling. Great... She _really_ needed _this_... Rolling her eyes, she got out of her seat and walked away from the couch to answer the phone, earning curious looks from both April and Splinter.

"Mother." She couldn't bear to refer to the woman as ' _Mom_ '.

" _Amelia_."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Amelia cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair. She hated talking to her mother because it was always difficult and awkward, since the woman was just rude and selfish.

"What's up?"

The words that came from her mother's lips next almost brought the young woman to her knees. While her relationship with her family was a very bad one, she still couldn't believe what she was hearing, and her mother, being the cruel woman she was, didn't even give her feelings any thought whatsoever.

" _Your father's dead."_

Amelia felt hot and weak all of a sudden, like all the air had left her lungs. She almost didn't know how to feel about it. She wasn't remotely sorry that the man was dead, but she felt almost numb, like she'd lost all sense of emotion. It would take some explaining for her new family to understand why she didn't particularly feel bad about the fact that her father was dead.

"How?" She asked, her voice shaking as she she went to sit at the kitchen table, feeling an overwhelming sensation of relief and shock.

" _He was drunk. Choked on his own vomit."_

Amelia rubbed a hand across her face. She should've realised that her father would die due to something related to alcohol. She was glad that it was something that had only caused himself harm, and no-one else. Wetting her lips briefly with her tongue, the young woman then ran a hand through her hair once again, clearing her throat.

"When's the funeral?" Amelia asked, earning a harsh sigh from her mother.

" _You're not welcome at the funeral."_ She said angrily, _"I just called you because I had to."_

"Your concern, as always, is touching, Mother." Amelia snapped, "Goodbye."

She hung up the phone, trying to find the strength to get out of her seat. How was she supposed to take news like that? Was she supposed to be happy, since she pretty much _hated_ her father? Was she supposed to sad because he was dead? She just didn't know, and she didn't really feel _anything_ at that moment. Perhaps she was in shock. She knew that April and Splinter were watching her with concern. She could _feel_ it. So, she eased herself out of the chair, before slowly making her way towards the couch, steadily sitting down next to April.

"My father passed away." She said, her tone void of emotion, "Got drunk and choked to death on his own puke."

"Oh, my God..." April breathed, her face contorting into an expression of horror, "Amelia, I'm so sorry..."

Splinter got out of his seat and moved to Amelia's side, placing a gentle hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her. Both he and April were confused by the fact that she didn't seem overly upset. Almost as if she wasn't bothered by the fact that her father was dead. Then, however, she started to shake, and Amelia realised she was in shock. Before they could do anything for her, loud voices came from the shuttered entrance to the lair, and the trio knew that the brothers were now home. They all sounded incredibly drunk, and it was really the last thing that the two humans and the ageing rat wanted to deal with after the news Amelia had just been given.

"Don't say a word to them about this." Amelia said sternly, "It'll spoil Raph's night."

April and Splinter shared a look as Amelia picked up the glass of wine that sat on the coffee table, downing it all at once. A smile then broke out onto her face as the shutter opened, almost as though nothing had happened. It was unnerving to see how quickly she could switch off any emotion and replace it with another, especially given the circumstances. It made Splinter realise that she'd had to learn how to do that, which then led him to question what kind of relationship she'd had with her family before she left them.

Raphael was being supported both by Leonardo and Donatello, who were both slightly drunk, and Michelangelo was being supported by Vern, who was red-faced, but grinning all the same. Amelia went forward to see the boys, followed by April and Splinter, who also had to try and feign happiness so that the turtles didn't become suspicious. While it was touching that she didn't want to spoil Raphael's bachelor party, it was unsettling that she was managing to keep her composure this way.

"Did you guys have fun?" Amelia asked, laughing as Raphael placed a kiss on her eyebrow, rather than her forehead where he was aiming for, "Hi, sweetheart..."

"I think I might be drunk, but shhhh..." Raphael hissed, flapping a hand up and down in Splinter's direction, "I don't want Dad to find out."

"Okay." Amelia whispered back, a bigger smile gracing her face, "I think we'd better get you upstairs, then."

April and Splinter watched worriedly as the group got Raphael to his and Amelia's room, and they saw Amelia go and grab a bucket from near the sink, in case Raphael was ill through drink. It was amazing to them that she was able to do something like that without losing control of her emotions, when her own dad had died because of the very thing she was trying to protect Raphael from. Once Raphael was in the bedroom, the others left Raphael and Amelia alone while they went to their own rooms, and she began to carefully undress her drunk fiancé, who had a stick on bow-tie attached to his bandanna.

He leaned down and started to kiss her neck as she tried to unfasten his gear, which made dread settle into the pit of her stomach. She shook her head and pushed him off, trying to keep her emotions in check, because she was in no mood for what he was doing, and she didn't want to have sex with him while he was as drunk as this. She got his shoulder pads off, but he was being _very_ persistent, and then started to grab at her hips and backside as he attempted to kiss her again.

"Raph, stop it." She told him, hearing a disgruntled groan come from his lips.

"Come on babe..." He slurred, "I want you..."

"Well, I'm not in the mood." Amelia replied, letting out a sigh as she managed to get his belt unfastened.

"You got a problem or something?" He slurred again, staggering slightly where he stood, which caused the young woman to try and have to steady his massive form.

"No, honey. Just hold still."

She was trying not to sound irritated, and she knew it wasn't his fault, but the last thing that Amelia needed right now was for Raphael to be behaving like this, when she'd just heard that her father was dead. She was dealing with a lot of inner turmoil at that moment, and she was finding it hard to keep her composure.

Large fingers at the waistband of her yoga pants brought her out of her thoughts, and she grabbed his wrists, pushing his hands away. She didn't want this right now. She didn't feel any kind of arousal at that point in time. She was trying to process what she'd just been told by her own selfish mother, so sex was the _last_ thing on her mind.

"Enough." She snapped, glaring into his eyes, "Stop it."

"You're so beautiful when you're angry."

The words were slurred, again, and Raphael was dipping his head to try and kiss her. His grip on her waist was strong, but not strong enough to hurt her. She knew he was just drunk, and she was glad that he'd had a wonderful night, but she wasn't prepared to put up with this behaviour when all she wanted to do was to crawl into bed, bury herself under the covers and block out the world.

"Raph!" She snarled, shoving him away, "I said _stop_!"

He seemed to briefly sober as Amelia glowered dangerously at him, and after a moment of stillness, she marched towards the bedroom door, opened it, and then walked straight up the large turtle, picking up the bucket that sat on the floor, and then shoving it into his arms. She didn't want him near her at that time, because he just wasn't going to stop, and she really didn't need that right now.

"Just go down the fucking stairs, and sleep on the fucking couch. I don't want you in here!" Her words were dripping with anger, venom and rage, "Get out."

Amelia didn't swear, not like Raphael did, so he knew that when she did start to swear, she'd really had enough. He knew not to argue, even in his drunken state, because the look on her face was thunderous, and frankly scary. He was so confused, not to mention hurt, because he had no idea what he'd done to provoke such a strong reaction from her. Alright, so he'd been a little grabby with her, but she seemed to be so upset and angry, and he had no idea why. He staggered past her and out of the bedroom, just as Vern was returning from Michelangelo's room.

"Take him downstairs." She snapped at Vern, before shutting the door right in Raphael's face.

Raphael looked at the closed door, finding himself quickly coming out of his drunken haze. What the hell was wrong with Amelia? She _never_ spoke to him the way she just had. What had he done that was so bad? Vern put a hand on his shoulder and patted it gently to try and offer a bit of comfort, even though the large turtle probably didn't want it. He'd never seen Raphael looking so stunned, or so forlorn before, so the sight of it was very strange to the tipsy cameraman.

"Talk to her in the morning, buddy." He said quietly, "Come on. You're on the couch tonight."

"What did I do?" He asked, feeling emotion building up in his chest as he was met with April, who had come upstairs to help Vern walk him down to the living area, "April, what did I do?"

"It isn't you." April said sadly, rubbing the top of his shell soothingly as she held onto his arm, "Honestly, it isn't. Talk to her about it tomorrow... Okay?"

"'Kay." He mumbled, looking back towards the bedroom as he was led to the sofa.

Back upstairs, Amelia was sitting on her bed, her head held in her hands. The father who'd abused her, threatened her and made her live in fear for so many years had finally died. She hoped he was burning in the deepest pits of Hell, and she was glad that she wasn't allowed to the funeral. She didn't want to go and pretend to mourn over someone who she hated. So, it seemed that she was rather happy that he wasn't alive any more to hold threats over her head, like he had since she was younger.

However, she was also eaten up with guilt, because she'd taken everything out on Raphael, who wasn't actually doing anything _that_ bad. She'd probably upset him and ruined his night, which had been the complete opposite of what she'd intended to do, but his advances were just the last thing she needed. Biting her lip, she felt the tears starting to burn in her eyes. She didn't want to shed one damn tear for her father. Not one. He was nothing but a sperm donor in her eyes, but she then realised that the tears were there probably because of how she'd just treated her future husband.

A knock on the door sounded, and she slowly eased herself off the bed, walking to open it to whoever was on the other side. She was met with April, who had two steaming cups in her hands and wore an expression of concern on her face. Amelia smiled weakly at her, taking the cup that April handed to her as the emotions started to get the better of her. April stepped slowly into the room, closing the door behind her, before moving to sit on the bed with the distressed twenty year old.

"He'll understand when you guys talk it out in the morning." April said quietly, rubbing Amelia's back.

"I don't know how to handle this." Amelia whispered, running a hand through her hair, "I'm not sorry that my father's dead. There's a deep, dark circle of Hell reserved for people like him."

"Do you want to talk about it?" April asked after a moment of silence.

Amelia simply shook her head and looked into the cup of tea, swallowing thickly as she wiped at her eyes. April realised very quickly that Amelia's words were probably the result of some kind trauma or abuse which she'd experienced at the hands of her father. The reporter sensed a lot of grief coming from the young woman, but she knew it was probably the grief over the loss of something else, rather than her father.

Sitting in silence, the two young women drank their tea, before April decided it was time for her and Vern to both be going home. They left the lair quietly, and once in the tunnels, April let Vern in on what had happened while he and the guys were partying. She could only hope that Raphael wouldn't be too upset by the fact that Amelia had waited to tell him about her father. The last thing that April wanted was for the couple to be arguing or upset again.

At the lair, Raphael lay awake on the couch, wondering whether or not to go and speak to his fiancée. Whatever he'd done to make her so angry as to speak to him that way was clearly quite serious, and he was so sick of screwing up that he just couldn't bear to lay there waiting for the morning before he spoke to her. So, steadily, he got up from the couch, and began to ascend the stairs, trying to form some kind of apology in his head.

He slowly approached the bedroom door, and gently raised his fist to knock on the harsh, cold metal, while trying to brace himself for what, no doubt, would be an uncomfortable conversation.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	8. Family Ties

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Well, hello there! Thank you so much for all the support with this so far! I know that FF thanks you automatically if you leave a review, but I like to thank you personally, because your support is what pushes me to continue with these writing projects. I've also given myself a big workload when it comes to art as well. I'm trying to improve my skills and understanding of anatomy, muscle groups, posing and all that kind of stuff, so I'm starting a project called: **_Raphael and Amelia's Book of Delights_** which will be a photo-album styled collection of drawings with "handwritten" captions from our couple and their family and friends. It might take a while to get started on that because the Christmas rush is already starting with my business, and I only really have time to update this fic. But the album will contain images which represent the relationship Raphael and Amelia share, but it will also contain some moments from the fics that I've done. It'll take me a long time to complete it, but I'm determined to give it a go. I'm already working on their cover "photo" so, that should be done shortly.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Again, thanks so much for the continued support! Keep reading to find out what happens XD

 **felicia2235:** Don't worry! Drama unfortunately at some point is a part of every relationship (mine's full of it, and amazingly not because of me or my bf), but I promise, it isn't all drama and sadness! Thanks again for your consistent reviews as well. It really does mean so much to me!

 **The Silvernote:** Thank you for taking the time to read, review and run! Especially since you'd had such an exhausting day. Enjoy this chapter, hun!

Enough of my rambling now! Happy reading!

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 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Eight: Family Ties }**

Amelia expected that Raphael might come back to the bedroom, wanting to spend the night with her rather than sleeping on the couch.

The knock on the door had caused her to startle, but she had a feeling that her boyfriend was the one standing on the other side of it, and now that she'd had a chance to adjust to the news she'd just received, she felt that the very least she owed him was an apology and an explanation. She opened it to find him standing there, the stupid stick-on bow-tie now gone from his bandanna, his expression solemn and sad. She let out a sigh and ran a hand over her face, gazing up at him with a similar expression. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she'd just been so conflicted about what had happened to her father. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Raphael quite obviously couldn't cope any more, and he opened his mouth to speak to her.

"I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry." The words weren't as slurred as they had been earlier, but he was still somewhat intoxicated, "Don't make me sleep without you..."

Oh, he sounded so desperate... So _upset_... Her heart ached at the sight of his distress and she knew immediately that she'd really messed up. He always took things so personally and she should've known better than to go off at him like she had earlier.

"I'm the one who's sorry..." Amelia spoke softly, stepping away from the door, "I... Um... I need to tell you something."

Raphael looked worriedly at her as he entered the room, allowing her to close the door behind him. She turned back to face him, taking in a deep breath as he steadily sat down on his side of the bed as she began to move slowly towards him to join him. She didn't want to ruin his night, but she felt that he deserved an explanation for her horrid behaviour earlier, especially when he actually hadn't done anything so bad to her in the first place.

"Just before you came home, I had a phone call from my mother." She said quietly, looking to the floor, "My dad passed away."

Raphael's eyes widened in horror as he immediately got to his feet, moving towards his girlfriend who caught him by the upper arms to stop him from holding her, so that she could explain what had happened in more detail. She knew he was desperate to comfort her but she just wanted to get everything off her chest before she didn't get the chance to.

"He choked to death on his own vomit after drinking too much." She continued, shaking her head as a bitter tone laced her voice, "Not that I'm sorry about it. It's the least he deserves. Apparently, I'm banned from the funeral, but I never had any intention of going anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Babe..." Raphael breathed out, brushing his hand over her hair comfortingly, "God, I don't know what to say..."

"There's nothing to say." Amelia said coldly, "Hopefully the bastard's burning in Hell, where he belongs."

"Why didn't you just _tell_ me...?" Raphael asked her, his tone now laced with anger, "I'm sick to the back fucking teeth of you not telling me things! How can we have a marriage if you're gonna keep stuff like this from me?!"

"I didn't wanna ruin your night." Amelia replied, shrinking back a little at his tone, "I'm not the least bit upset about the fact that my father's dead. He's nothing but a sperm donor. I'm _glad_ that he's dead. Splinter's more of a father to me than my birth father's ever been."

"Whether or not you're upset about it, you have to start talking to me." Raphael growled, "We can't have secrets, Amelia."

"So, what? Based on the fact that I wanted to let you enjoy your night, our entire relationship is called into question, is it?" Amelia snarled, squaring up to him as a sudden anger washed over her at the tone he was taking with her, "I was going to tell you in the morning. I wasn't keeping secrets, Raph, I was trying to be kind."

"That's not what I meant." Raphael answered her, realising that he'd shot himself in the foot.

"Uh, I quote, _'How can we have a marriage if you're gonna keep stuff like this from me?'_ How is that not calling our relationship into question?" Amelia growled, turning away from him, "You just don't understand."

"Then _talk_ to me..." Raphael pleaded, his tone now apologetic, "Help me understand. I can't... Seeing you trying to deal with this stuff on your own _kills_ me. I can't stand it."

He gently reached out to place a hand on her arm, before he moved closer and then pulled her into his side, tenderly embracing her. Amelia pressed into him, closing her eyes half in relief, and half in annoyance. He steadily led her to their bed and eased her down onto it, keeping one arm around her as she wrung her hands in her lap. There was no point in them fighting each other about it. It wasn't going to change anything, so Raphael instead decided to let go of the fact that she'd not told him immediately and to just hear her out instead.

"My parents were never doting or loving." She began, clearing her throat, "They were just unbelievably selfish... And I wasn't a planned baby, so my brothers got most of the attention that my parents could be bothered to bestow upon us, and I was just kinda left out."

Raphael felt a sadness wash over him at the dejected look on her face. He couldn't imagine how eighteen years of being excluded from the family must've felt. Now he realised why she was so upset three months before when she felt neglected by his family. A horrible, nauseating sensation of guilt settled itself in the pit of his stomach as he realised that he and his family had made her relive eighteen years of rejection all over again.

"My grandparents adored me, though, and I adored them." Amelia continued as a wistful smile made it's way onto her face, which disappeared again very quickly, "It was hard living in a home with people who didn't love me. It was bearable, though, until I caught my dad cheating on my mom... I literally walked into the room to find him inside some hooker on our dining table."

It was strange to see Amelia like this; talking so bluntly and so bitterly. It was hard to see someone who was so loving, and so gentle, sitting there with a look of disdain, and _hate_ on her face as she spoke about her own flesh and blood. It was unnerving to say the least.

"He followed me out of the room, cornered me in my bedroom, and he got me up against the wall so I couldn't move around him or get away." She explained, unable to look her loving fiancé in the face, "He put one hand on my back, under my t-shirt, and then told me that if I told anyone what I'd seen and heard, I'd tear the family apart. Then, he said that if I tore the family apart, I'd pay the price for it."

Raphael heard her take in a quaking breath and he watched her as she kept her head ducked down, trying to clearly keep her emotions in check.

"At the same time that he was telling me this, his other hand was playing with the waistband of my jeans." She breathed out, feeling him tense up at the words, "So, I know damn well what he meant by ' _pay_ '. I was twelve when he dropped that on me, and I carried that for eight years. Even after I left, he swore he'd find me if I ever told anyone. So, believe me. I'm over- _fucking_ -joyed that he's dead. I hope it hurt. _"_

Raphael just couldn't bring himself to speak. He was _incensed_. Never in his life had he heard something so despicable, and the fact that the son of a bitch held that over his child's head for eight years, making her frightened for her safety, was a million times worse. The anger was immeasurable. All he could do to control himself was to pull Amelia into his lap and embrace her tightly, holding her against him protectively as he pressed a hard kiss to her head.

"I'm sorry I was so harsh with you." He said, his chest heaving with anger as he held her tighter, "You didn't deserve that."

Covering her face with her hands, Amelia leaned into Raphael's body in an attempt to will her tears away. He cupped the back of her head as the first sob escaped her lips and his eyes closed, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he tried to quell the anger and rage that he could feel bubbling up inside of him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, moving her hands from her face to wrap her arms around his neck, trying to get herself under control again.

"Don't be." He told her quietly, "I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"You're angry." She breathed out, pulling back to look at him as her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the bedroom.

"Not with you." He promised her, tenderly brushing a finger against the soft, pale flesh of her cheek, "You need to get some sleep, you know... You're looking really tired. I can go back to the couch if you want..."

"I don't wanna sleep alone." She shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry I kicked you out. Please, stay..."

Without another word, Raphael leaned forward to kiss her forehead, feeling her sigh with relief against him. No matter how long it took him, he was going to help her deal with the pain and the hurt that she'd been feeling for all this time, and he vowed to work as hard as possible in order to give her the love and happiness she deserved.

* * *

"Oh, Amelia..." April breathed as the young woman stepped out of her dressing room wearing her wedding gown, "It's beautiful..."

Amelia stood in a floor length, dark red dress with long sleeves, an open back and a sweetheart neckline. The bodice had a pretty diamanté arrangement that ran across the bust and then down the centre of it, and the skirt pooled at the back, outlining Amelia's lovely figure. As the assistant left the dressing room to allow Amelia and April a moment together, April turned her cell phone around so that Michelangelo could see the dress via a video call.

The reporter was currently sitting in a pastel yellow floor length dress with strap sleeves and a square neckline, which would be her bridesmaid dress for the wedding day. Michelangelo had a bow tie that would tie around his neck, and Amelia had bought a dark red pillow for the wedding rings to sit on. She'd already solved the problem with Raphael's wedding ring, which she was going to deal with when she got home. Almost everything was ready for the wedding now, apart from the flowers, and the cake, which she and April were going to deal with the following week.

" _You look gorgeous..."_ The words almost didn't sound like they were coming from Michelangelo's mouth, and as Amelia turned to look at the cell phone in April's hand, she could see tears in those lovely baby blue eyes of her big brother's.

It was unusual to see him so serious or emotional, so Amelia knew that this meant a lot to him. She wanted him to be as much a part of the wedding preparations as possible, since he wasn't able to go topside with her to get certain bits and pieces for the day. He'd chosen the dress with her a couple of nights previously, and it was obvious that he'd been onto something when he'd pointed this gown out to her as they scrolled through the store's selection online.

"You've got really good taste, Mikey." She said sweetly, watching him wipe his eyes, "It's perfect."

" _He'll love it."_ Michelangelo said with a very sincere nod, _"Especially 'cause it's red."_

"Good, I'll take it." Amelia replied with a smile, turning to look at herself in the mirror, "I love it."

"I have to let you go, Mikey. We'll see you soon." April said softly, ending the video call, before standing from her seat to go and stand with the bride-to-be, who looked almost stunned as she gazed in the mirror, "See... You're beautiful. You look stunning, and he's gonna be overwhelmed when he sees you."

"You think?" Amelia asked, feeling slightly nervous as she looked at her reflection.

"Of course." April replied with a grin, "I'm glad you're taking it, sweetie. It really is perfect."

"I think your future husband is a very lucky man." The assistant said kindly as she stepped back into the dressing room, "You're a very beautiful young woman. And that dress is stunning."

"Thank you." Amelia whispered, continuing to gaze at herself in the mirror.

A feeling of sadness washed over her at the thought of her grandparents suddenly, and how they wouldn't with her at the ceremony. She knew in her heart that they would've loved to see her walk down the aisle. They would've loved Raphael, even though they would probably have been shocked by his appearance initially. He loved her and took care of her, and that was all they ever wanted for their granddaughter. How she missed them...

Within a half hour, the two women left the store with their dresses and other accessories, and they got a cab to go back to April's apartment, where Amelia would then take the nearest manhole cover into the sewers. Donatello had agreed to meet her to walk her back, at Raphael's request, which meant that both she and April would get home safely.

As planned, Donatello met Amelia near April's place, and headed home with her, taking some of the shopping from her since she was weighed down with things like shoes, make-up, wedding gowns and decorations. He talked to her excitedly about how he and Leonardo had been working on new body armour that the turtles and their father were all going to wear for the ceremony, and how they'd all found it pretty endearing to see Michelangelo taking to his role as maid of honour so well.

Donatello and Splinter had managed to find some passages for Splinter to read at the ceremony, while Raphael had apparently spent the past few hours trying to write his vows. Amelia sighed happily at the thought of Raphael going to such lengths in order to make the wedding as special as possible.

"You have no idea how happy you're making him, Amelia." Donatello said softly as he walked with his sister-in-law to be, "None of us ever believed we could have something as special as what you and Raphael have."

"He's making me unbelievably happy, too." Amelia smiled up at him, "Your brother is the most wonderful and unique person I ever met. He means everything to me, and the only thing that I want is to love him and make him happy."

Donatello stopped in his tracks and looked at the young woman, an expression of wonder on his face. He'd seen how cruel humans could be. He knew that it was rare to find people who were genuinely loving and caring. Amelia was probably the most amazing human he'd ever met. She'd given up her life on the surface to be with him and his brothers. She'd always treated them as people, not monsters, and she'd offered them all that she had. She loved them all and cared for them all, and now, she was truly becoming part of the family by marrying Raphael, even though it meant she probably couldn't have the wedding she always dreamed of.

After a brief moment, he managed to pull himself together and he offered her one of those adorable, awkward smiles of his, before they set off walking again through the tunnels. Amelia moved closer to him and linked her arm with his, leaning into his side. She knew that Donatello held her in very high esteem. He'd often told her as much, and he'd been the first of the brothers to refer to her as ' _Sis_ ', two years previously when he found out that she and Raphael were dating. This kind of contact wasn't uncommon between them, and he'd grown increasingly comfortable with her over the past couple of years.

"So, I guess Mikey was sad about missing the dress fitting..." Donatello began, hearing Amelia chuckle next to him.

"No, April used _Skype_ to call my office computer so that Mikey could see the dress." She said with a grin, "You can't repeat this to anyone, but he cried. He said Raph would love it."

"I think you could wear a trash bag, and Raph would love you in it." Donatello said with a small laugh,"So, are the rest of us banned from seeing the dress 'til the big day?"

"You certainly are." Amelia nodded, looking up at him briefly, "You will take care of Raph, won't you...? If he gets jittery or nervous, please try and look after him. You know how he can be."

"Of course. I'm the best man. It's my job to calm the pre-wedding jitters." Donatello said with a smile, "Listen, I've been meaning to ask... Are you sure you want to do this so soon, you know... Since your dad just passed away?"

The boys didn't know the truth about Amelia's relationship with her father, and she'd purposely not told them the details so that they wouldn't feel the guilt that Raphael was currently feeling. He'd spoken to her on multiple occasions about how he never realised that he and his family had made her feel the same way her own family had made her feel, and she didn't want the others to be going through that unnecessary distress, either. The two stopped in their tracks, and Amelia let Donatello's arm go, gazing up into his eyes with a rather serious expression on her face.

"Donnie, the only thing I'll say about my dad passing away, is that I'm not the least bit upset or sorry about it." Amelia said softly, "That sounds harsh, cold and horrible, but it's the truth. My father was a waste of air. Splinter is a better father to me than my own birth dad ever was. So, yes, I am sure I want to do this so soon. I love your brother, and I can't wait to marry him and become a part of _this_ family instead. My blood family were not my choice. I had no say in what family I was born into. Now, I have a choice to join the family I always wanted. I'm taking it."

Donatello stared at her, once again dumbfounded. The emotion rose within him like a tidal wave, but he swallowed it down quickly. He and his brothers were so lucky to have someone in their lives who appreciated and loved them so much, especially someone who could've so easily exploited them all and put them in harm's way. He quickly leaned down and wrapped her in a one-armed hug, squeezing her tightly to his chest. When he let go of her, Amelia wrapped her arm around his again and they set off walking back to the lair.

Once they got home, Amelia was met with the sight of a set dinner table, and a bunch of busy turtles. Splinter watched his sons from his seat at the dinner table as he nursed a cup of tea, while Leonardo was busy pouring drinks, Raphael was setting down two baskets of garlic bread, and Michelangelo was busy working away at the stove.

"Hey, guys." Amelia said with a grin, approaching her family as she took the other shopping bags from Donatello, "What's going on?"

"We thought you'd be exhausted after a day of wedding shopping." Leonardo answered, gently wrapping an arm around her to hug her, "So, Mikey's made some spaghetti bolognese, and he even made a cheesecake for dessert."

"Oh, wow..." Amelia's smile brightened, "What a nice surprise to come home to."

"Hey, babe." Raphael approached her with a grin of his own, tenderly kissing her on the top of her head, "You've got about two minutes before dinner's ready."

"Okay, I'll just put this stuff in my office." She said sweetly, turning on her heel and heading towards her office.

Raphael looked towards Donatello, who had placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly with a rather unusual expression on his face. Raphael was a little bit stunned by the sudden contact, but when Donatello spoke to him, he understood what was up with his brother.

"You have no idea how lucky you are." He said, shaking his head gently, "She has to be the most amazing human being I've ever met."

"Believe me, I thank whatever God's out there every damn day for her." Raphael replied, patting Donatello's shell as the younger turtle let his arm go.

He and Donatello shared a warm smile before the lankier turtle went to give Michelangelo a hand, while Raphael took a seat at the table near his father. The rat and the turtle shared a look, and Splinter gave him the proudest smile that Raphael had ever seen. It wasn't unusual these days for Splinter to give Raphael that kind of smile, but there was a twinkle in the rat's eyes that Raphael hadn't really noticed before.

"What is it, Dad?" He asked gently, feeling the ageing rat place a gentle paw on his arm.

"I am very proud of the man you've become." Splinter told him, squeezing gently as though to emphasise the point.

The sound of heels clicking on the hard floor caught everyone's attention as Amelia approached the dinner table, pulling the sleeves of her dark plum sweater over her wrists. She immediately went to help with the food, but Raphael grabbed a hold of her arm before she could go anywhere and sat her down next to him, handing her a glass of water.

"You've been on your feet all day." He told her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her in for a hug before gently kissing her on the head, "Wedding shopping is stressful, and you're having to do it pretty much on your own, so take some time off."

"So, how was the dress fitting?" Leonardo asked as he sat down at the table.

"Oh, no." Amelia laughed, "I am _not_ going to have you trying to get any details out of me about my dress, when my future husband is sitting right next to me. I'm saying _nothing_."

Splinter smiled warmly and winked jokingly at her as Michelangelo approached with big bowl of spaghetti in one hand, and a big bowl of bolognese in the other. Everyone thanked him as he put them in the middle of the table and they all started to dig in as he joined them for the meal.

Following the dinner, Amelia excused herself to take a shower as the boys did a short training session in the dojo, and following this shower, she finally got around to looking through one of the boxes of her grandparents' belongings to see what other gems she could find, other than the wedding rings.

When Raphael returned from training, he found Amelia curled up on their bed with what looked like a photo album in her lap. After he removed his gear, he joined her on the bed, looking at the pictures that she was gazing at so fondly. A black and white photo caught his eye straight away, because at first, he thought it was Amelia. It looked just like her, but he realised that it wasn't when he saw the woman's hairstyle and clothing.

"Who's this?" He asked, pointing to the picture, "She's the spitting image of you..."

"That's Grandma Daisy." Amelia said with a heavy sigh, "I loved her so much. She was very special, very kind, and _very_ determined."

"Just like you, then." Raphael chuckled, looking to another photo of Daisy with a young man who looked very handsome in a suit and tie, "Is that your grandfather?"

"Grandpa Bobby-George." Amelia smiled fondly, "He was great. Encouraging, brave, funny, sensible... My grandma worshipped him. They meant the world to each other. I just wish they were here to be part of our wedding... It'd make them so happy to see me walking up the aisle..."

Raphael, sensing the emotion working its way through his fiancées veins, gently pulled her into his side and pressed a lingering kiss to her head. They spent several hours together looking through the pictures and talking about them before Amelia's body gave out, and she fell asleep through exhaustion. Raphael took the album from her, and placed it on the Ottoman at the foot of their bed, before turning off the bedside lamp. Carefully, he got her under the covers, ensuring she was comfortable, and then climbed into bed next to her, allowing her to tiredly curl into his arms.

She whispered a sleepy ' _I love you_ ', into the darkness of the room, and as Raphael whispered his own in return, he felt a rush of excitement flow through him at the thought of making this sensitive, beautiful woman his wife.

He couldn't wait.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	9. Wedding Bells

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! Here we are at chapter 9! Thanks so much for all the reading, reviewing, following and favouriting so far, it really does mean a lot to me. So, there may just be a drawn portrait of Raphael and Amelia on Deviantart... If you go to my DA profile which is the same username as my FF pen name, you will find it, and even though it's only an initial drawing, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out :D Also, for whatever reason, I can't read my reviews from chapter 8, so if anyone has reviewed and I haven't received an email for it, you may not be included in the review reply section, and for that I'm sorry. But I can't see any reviews apart from those that came to my email.

 **rinpup14:** Aww thanks! I'm so glad you're loving it! I hope it only gets better for you!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks so much for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks, hun! I have a sneaky suspicion that you'll enjoy this chapter too!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Nine: Wedding Bells }**

"Just one more, Amelia..."

Amelia took a deep breath as she looked at her reflection in the bedroom mirror. April was just putting the last pin in her hair, while Michelangelo was tying up two bouquets of flowers as he sat on Amelia and Raphael's bed. The day of the wedding had come so quickly. Donatello, Michelangelo and April had helped to decorate the dojo the previous night, Splinter had been up most of the night making sure he was prepared to make the ceremony as special as Raphael and Amelia wanted it to be, Leonardo had been working on the finishing touches to the turtles' outfits, and April had spent a lot of the previous night on the phone to Vern as well, making sure that he was going to be there on time.

Raphael had spent the night at April's place in the spare bed, and she'd tried to get him into a good mood for the wedding the next day, rather than him being a bumbling wreck. At the moment, Amelia was the one who was experiencing the pre-wedding jitters. April could see it in the mirror that she was petrified, and worrying over every little thing.

"This dress isn't right..." Amelia breathed, shaking her head lightly, "I shouldn't have chosen red... He's going to think I'm being patronising..."

"Amelia, stop it. He isn't going to think that." April said gently, "You look absolutely beautiful, and he is going to _love_ this dress. It's perfect. _You_ are perfect. I know you're getting nervous, but it's completely normal. Just think about it... You're marrying the love of your life today. How wonderful is that?"

"It's wonderful, April, but it's scary as hell." Amelia said quietly, turning to face the reporter as she removed the bridal headband from its box.

It was a silver band with diamanté flowers and pearls intertwined across it, and as April carefully placed it upon her head, it seemed to bring out the colour in her honey-blonde hair. Michelangelo, who looked gorgeous in his armour and bow-tie, gazed up at Amelia in awe as he handed her the bouquet of roses and lilies that he'd put together. April then started working on the finishing touches to Amelia's make-up, just by making sure her eyeliner and mascara were even, and then by applying a gentle layer of a neutral lipstick. She turned Amelia towards the mirror, only to find the young woman looking stunned at her own reflection.

"See." April whispered to her, reaching around to place a hand over hers, "He loves you, whether you look like this, or whether you look like hell in your oldest pyjamas with greasy hair and unshaven legs after you've spent several hours crying through _When Harry Met Sally_ , and _Forrest Gump_."

Amelia took in a deep breath and nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"He loves you, for you. And I can tell you for certain, that Raphael will be in awe of how beautiful you look right now." April said sweetly, reaching behind with her spare hand for Michelangelo to hand her the pack of tissues that was sitting on the bed, "It's going to be an emotional day today, so I think you'll need these."

April then took a few out of the packet, and folded them neatly before slipping them under the strap of the leather band that Amelia was wearing underneath her sleeve. It was her grandfather's band, and Amelia had paid to have one made that was very similar, which Raphael's wedding ring had been fastened onto. Around her neck sat one of her grandmother's favourite necklaces, which was silver and had a ruby, tear-shaped pendant in the middle. One of her favourite pictures of her grandparents had been framed and put into the dojo, so that Amelia could have them with her on her wedding day.

"Thanks for everything... Both of you." Amelia whispered, giving April a warm hug before moving over to Michelangelo, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, baby-doll." Michelangelo said quietly, being careful not to mess up her outfit as he embraced her, "I'll go and make sure that Raph isn't out there before you go downstairs."

"Thanks, Mikey." Amelia replied, watching him steadily walk out of the room before letting out a shaky breath, "You look lovely, April."

April looked down at the pastel yellow dress and then smoothed it out, before brushing a loose strand of her own pinned up hair behind her ear. She smiled warmly at Amelia for a brief moment as she tried to hold it together, before the two of them almost slammed into each other and shared another emotional hug. It was a really big day, particularly for Raphael, who probably never felt he had a chance of so much as getting a girlfriend, never mind getting married. Amelia never really thought she could ever love someone as much as she loved Raphael, and she was taking a big step as well, by committing to him in this way.

As they parted from their hug, they were met with the sound of Michelangelo's voice as the door to the bedroom slowly opened to reveal the flustered looking maid of honour.

"Okay, girls..." Michelangelo was panting as he came back into the room, "Raph just needs a few more minutes."

April looked at Michelangelo worriedly, but he offered a dazzling smile instead, which seemed to calm the bridesmaid's nerves. She only hoped that Raphael wasn't getting cold feet and backing out of the wedding, because Amelia would be devastated.

* * *

"Leo, would you knock it off?" Raphael growled as Leonardo once again tried to adjust his armour, "I'm sweating now... I'm actually fucking _sweating_! Maybe this isn't such a good idea... I don't think I can do this. It's too much."

"Raph, just take a breath. We're doing things one step at a time." Donatello said calmly, cleaning his glasses carefully, "The only thing you're doing right now is putting on your gear. Focus on that."

"Just my gear... Okay..." Raphael seemed to relax a little at this, "I got this."

"Yeah." Donatello smiled warmly at him, "You've got this."

Donatello had been religiously watching the sitcom _Friends_ for a long time, and after seeing how the characters dealt with pre-wedding jitters, he found this particular technique was very helpful for Raphael, who was stressing out like nobody's business. Of course, the main event of the day was something that no-one had expected to ever happen. Their brother was taking an enormous step, so Leonardo and Donatello were doing their best to keep him calm and collected.

"Okay... You're looking good, Raph." Leonardo said encouragingly as he finished adjusting the armour, "Do you want me to tell Sensei that you're ready?"

Raphael's eyes widened again but Donatello was right by his side, his glasses back on his face, with a hand on his big brother's shoulder. If anyone could keep Raphael calm in that moment, it was Donatello, and the purple-clad turtle was doing _very_ well to keep Raphael from freaking out. He'd already thrown up twice that morning because of his nerves.

"We're just going into the dojo. That's all." Donatello reassured him, patting his arm.

"O-Okay..." Raphael breathed out, "Fine... Yeah... Okay, I can do that..."

"Of course you can." Donatello said again with a smile, "You're just going into the dojo. There's nothing difficult about going to the dojo, is there?"

"No." Raphael replied, shaking his head, "There isn't."

"Okay. Let's go." Leonardo smiled, nodding towards the door.

Raphael took a deep breath and started to follow his brothers out of the lab, where they'd been for the past couple of hours, and they made their way towards the dojo. Once inside the room, Raphael looked at the handmade arch that Splinter was currently sitting under, that had been beautifully decorated with flowers and then two pieces of white material that were wrapped around the supports of the arch. April had designed it herself, and while it wasn't to Raphael's taste, he knew Amelia would love it, so he'd be happy to get married under it.

"Ah, my sons..." Splinter got to his feet steadily, his voice snapping Raphael out of his thoughts, "Is everyone here?"

"Vern's running a tad late." Donatello said quietly, "But he'll be here soon, I'm sure."

"See, this is why I didn't want him involved!" Raphael growled, the stress very evident on his face, "He's too damn unreliable, not to mention the fact that he's a complete..."

"Raphael, calm down." Splinter said quietly, "Come with me, my son... Donatello could you please find out where Vern is? Leonardo, you probably ought to go and get Amelia."

As Donatello and Leonardo both headed back out of the dojo, Splinter looked up at his second eldest son, placing a hand on his shell in a tender fashion. He could practically feel the stress and anxiety rolling off of Raphael in waves, and the rat knew he needed to try and keep him as calm as possible.

"Raphael, you know that Amelia loves you. I know how much you love her. The anxiety that you're experiencing is completely natural, and it shows how much you care about today." He said gently, "I know that this is important to you Raphael, but you have _nothing_ to fear. You're about to take a wonderful step in your relationship. This is a very exciting day."

"I know, Dad... I know." Raphael replied with a sigh, "I just don't want to mess up today. I know how much effort and time she put into this wedding, and I don't wanna spoil it for her. I always screw up, Dad... You know I do."

"That's not true, and you know it." Splinter said, opening his arms to embrace the turtle, who leaned down to hug his father in return, "You'll be fine. You only have to repeat what I say. Amelia's the one who has to walk into this room, with everyone's eyes on her, including yours."

"You're right." Raphael murmured, looking up as Donatello re-entered the room, a warm smile plastered on his face.

"Vern's here." He said, pushing his glasses back up to his eyes as they slipped down a little, "Mikey's just gone to get April and Amelia. You ready, Raph?"

Raphael nodded, swallowing thickly as he looked back to his father, fear present in his intense green eyes. Splinter gave him a wink of encouragement before taking his place under the archway, and Donatello stood to Raphael's right, both of them facing forward.

Outside the room, Leonardo and Vern stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs as April emerged from Amelia and Raphael's room first, of course earning compliments from both Vern and Leonardo as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Then, Michelangelo came out of the bedroom, holding hands with Amelia, whose appearance caused the two men at the bottom of the stairs to gaze at her in awe.

She looked absolutely stunning. The fact that she'd chosen to wear Raphael's colours was beyond amazing, and Leonardo knew how touched he'd be when he saw her. He was fairly certain that this would be an incredibly emotional day for his younger brother, not to mention the rest of their unusual family unit. Stunning wasn't even the right word for how Amelia looked in her wedding gown. Angelic was probably a better term.

"Looking good, Amelia." Vern said quietly, a sincere smile spreading onto his face for a change, "You ready?"

"Almost..." Amelia said, letting out a long, nervous breath, "I'd like a moment with Leo, alone, if that's okay..."

"Sure." April said sweetly as she threaded her arm through Vern's, her bouquet held in one hand, "We'll wait by the door."

Michelangelo stopped to give Amelia a kiss on the temple, before he followed April and Vern, the wedding rings held in front of him carefully on the lovely, dark red pillow that Amelia had picked out a couple of weeks before. Leonardo turned to Amelia and let out a sigh of his own, reaching up to gently touch her face with the backs of his fingers.

"You look beautiful." He said softly, brushing his index finger across her cheek before moving to take her hand in his own.

"Thank you." Amelia replied, squeezing his large hand tightly, "This is _huge_... I'm so scared, but I'm really excited at the same time."

"You know, we're so lucky to have you." Leonardo said, feeling his throat tighten as the young woman moved closer to embrace him, "I know you're scared. Raph's just as scared as you, but if anyone's meant to do this, it's you guys... You're meant for each other."

Amelia nodded against him as the two shared a long hug, his hand resting against her back gently before he tenderly kissed her temple. The two looked at each other and Amelia could see the turtle trying his best to hold back tears. It really was going to be an emotional day. She mouthed out the words, _'Thank you_ ' to him as she carefully pressed her fingers against her eyes to try and catch any potential tears to stop them from falling and ruining her make-up that April had done so beautifully for her.

"I love you, Leo." She said softly.

"I love you, too, little sis." He replied with a warm smile, "You ready?"

Amelia gave him a nod and a very excited, but anxious smile, and she then threaded her arm through his with her bouquet held in her hands. April and Vern then opened the doors to the dojo and walked along the red carpet that Donatello had laid out the previous night, towards the wedding arch. They both gave Raphael reassuring smiles, but the large turtle looked incredibly pale. He watched Michelangelo then follow after with the ring cushion in his hands, and there was nothing else that Raphael felt he could do but look towards the back wall of the dojo. He felt like he was about to lose his stomach, but when Donatello patted his arm and Raphael saw the stunned look on his brother's face, he couldn't help but turn around to see what he was gawking at.

There she was, dressed in the most gorgeous gown he'd ever seen, and it was in _red_. She wanted to get married to him in his colour... His throat tightened and his eyes burned with emotion as he gazed at his gorgeous fiancée, who had never looked as beautiful as she did just then, on the arm of his brother who looked prouder than Raphael had ever seen him.

She smiled at him and Raphael felt his legs turn to jelly. This was so scary, and so exciting all at once. It made him feel giddy, but sick at the same time. When they were finally side by side, Michelangelo took the bouquet from Amelia's hands and handed Donatello the pillow with the rings on top, before he stepped back to stand with April and Vern. Leonardo kissed Amelia's hand before he went to stand by his youngest brother, and Amelia reached out with her right hand to take Raphael's left, squeezing it tightly.

Donatello placed a comforting hand on Raphael's shoulder when he realised that the older turtle was desperately trying to keep it together, and Splinter could see the emotion on his face, so the ageing rat gave him a chance to just get things under control again before he began the ceremony.

As always, Splinter was very eloquent as he spoke, and he used some of the most loving words to describe the relationship that Raphael and Amelia shared, that it made both of them tear up. The vows were simple, predetermined ones, because the couple had made a promise to each other that they'd share their true vows on their wedding night when they were alone together, since Raphael had struggled in vain to write his own vows. As they exchanged rings, it was very emotional for everyone. Donatello was caught wiping his eyes behind his glasses a few times. Leonardo cleared his throat and turned away to wipe his eyes at one point as Raphael was saying his vows. April had been in tears pretty much since Amelia walked into the room on Leonardo's arm, and Vern had been smiling rather fondly at the couple as they exchanged the rings. Then, Michelangelo started to cry next to April, sniffling softly as the young reporter went to get him a tissue from the band around her wrist. Vern rolled his eyes, but April harshly backhanded his arm, before leaning into Michelangelo's side as he put an arm around her so they could rejoice together.

It was even more emotional when Amelia reached up, her eyes full of tears, and brushed a falling tear away from Raphael's cheek as she said her vows and fastened the leather band around his wrist. His wedding ring sat on top so that he could see it whenever he wanted to, and the band was a comfortable fit. Amelia's wedding ring sat on her ring finger, and it really was a perfect fit. Her grandparents would've been so proud. The fact that there was a photograph of them in the dojo meant the world to her, like her new family had tried to include them in the ceremony, in some way.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Splinter said softly, giving his son an incredibly proud smile, "You may now kiss the bride."

Raphael leaned down and pressed his lips to Amelia's, who held onto his face gently with her manicured hands, moving her lips with his. The room erupted into cheers as they broke apart, and Amelia finally shed a few tears which she quickly wiped away with her dainty fingers. Splinter moved to embrace them both individually, and then the couple moved to their family and friends, sharing warm hugs and words of congratulations. Raphael even gave Vern a one-armed hug, because he was too damn happy to be remotely angry at the guy today.

As the family went back to the living area, Michelangelo and Donatello hurried to get the food for the wedding meal out of the refrigerator, which was a selection of party food. Michelangelo had offered to prepare a proper wedding dinner, but all Amelia and Raphael wanted to do was drink and party. So, party food seemed to be the best option. Vern and April had kindly bestowed the couple with a huge selection of alcohol as their wedding gift, so the family were determined to have a great time.

As soon as the food was unwrapped, Vern started handing out the alcohol, while Michelangelo made a start on the disco. Within a couple of hours, Amelia was convinced that Raphael had taken in enough alcohol to get up and have their first dance. She knew she'd have to make him drink first, but now, she was confident that she'd get a dance out of him. Michelangelo chose just the right time to start playing _All of Me_ by John Legend.

Raphael reluctantly agreed to go to and dance with Amelia, but as he took her into his arms and held one of her hands close to his chest as she rested her head on his shoulder, the turtle relaxed and just went with the flow. No-one was going to poke fun at him today, or make any kind of comment that could embarrass him about the fact that he was dancing with his new wife like that. They _were_ just going to let the couple enjoy their moment together, but when Raphael was getting self conscious, mostly because of a rather drunk Michelangelo's terrible singing, April got up and pulled the youngest turtle to join the married couple for a dance. Unfortunately for April, she had to spend most of the time sliding Michelangelo's hands upward to the small of her back, as he continually tried to fondle her backside.

Amelia got a dance with each of her brothers, as did April, and she even danced with Vern and taught him a few new moves, which was nice. But then, she noticed the open door to the dojo, and as she steadily slipped away from the incredibly merry turtles, their rather sober father, and her two human friends, she retrieved a tealight candle from one of the kitchen cupboards, grabbed some matches and stealthily stepped into the dojo.

She approached the picture of her grandparents and knelt down before it, gently stroking the glass of the frame before she placed the tealight on the floor, shuffled back a little so as not to ignite her gown, and then retrieved a match from the box in her right hand. She lit the candle and then sat quietly for a moment, just looking at the lovely image of her grandparents.

"I wish you could've been here today." She whispered, feeling her throat tighten with emotion, "I love you both so much, and I really miss you. I know you would've loved my husband. He takes such good care of me, and he protects me, and he loves me... I love him so much, and I try to take care of him too, even if he doesn't always let me. Just like you, Grandpa Bobby-George. You never let Grandma Daisy take care of you, either."

Amelia saw a tissue being held out to her, and steadily, her new husband lowered himself to sit down beside her as she took the tissue from him, dabbing her eyes gently with a smile of thanks. She hadn't even noticed she was crying. Raphael, even though he was slightly intoxicated, tenderly wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You okay, beautiful?" He asked her, turning his head so that he could press his lips to his wife's forehead, "I wondered where you'd disappeared to."

"I just wanted to be with them for a while." Amelia sighed, dabbing her eyes again, "I miss them so much, Raph."

"They'd be so damn proud of you." Raphael whispered, kissing her forehead again, "You're a credit to them."

Amelia closed her eyes and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Raphael felt her let out a heaving sigh, almost as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and he kissed her temple this time, tenderly rubbing her back. He'd seen her eye the photo as they left the dojo following the ceremony, and he noticed how her grip on him had tightened, almost as though she was trying to keep herself calm. Her grandparents had obviously meant more to her than he could ever understand.

"I love you, Raphael." She whispered, moving back to look at him.

"I love you too, Amelia." He said quietly, gently brushing a tear from her cheek as she had for him at the ceremony, "Why don't we clear out our guests and head up to bed? We do have a marriage to consummate, after all."

"And of course, that's a _very_ important part of any wedding day." Amelia laughed sweetly, offering him a bright, if tearful smile, "We have to exchange our vows."

"Yeah, we do." Raphael smirked at her, "Come on. I think Mikey's had too much to drink. He keeps dancing with April and grabbing her ass."

"Poor April." Amelia said with a giggle, allowing Raphael to help her to her feet, "We'd better rescue her then."

Hand in hand, the newly married couple headed out of the dojo and back to the party, both of them feeling excited for not only going to bed together for the first time as husband and wife, but also for what wonderful opportunities the future could bring for them.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	10. Uncharted Territory

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for the support so far! I'll have to put a small _**warning**_ in this chapter for _**adult content**_. It is a wedding night, after all! Oh, I also would greatly appreciate it if you could read the additional author's note at the end of the chapter as it contains something that I feel I need to talk about after the chapter is over.

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks for the review hun! The entire fic's been a bit of a struggle for me in terms of timeline. I don't want to rush it but at the same time I don't make it drag, so I'm glad that I'm managing to find the balance and do it well, without missing out bits of important information. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **felicia2235:** Aww, I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far! Thanks for continuously reviewing, it really does mean a lot to me.

Happy reading!

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 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Ten: Uncharted Territory }**

After April and Vern had left the lair, and the very drunken turtles had been put to bed by their father, Amelia and Raphael headed towards their bedroom, and already, Raphael's hands were wandering over his wife's hips.

Once they were in their room, Amelia lit her bedside lamp as Raphael locked their door, and he moved over to her as she began to take her jewellery off, pulling her against his plastron before moving to tenderly kiss her neck. Amelia fondly rolled her eyes, leaning into his touch as he ran his fingers over her waist, his lips moving to the space between her neck and shoulder. He then carefully reached for her headband, and tenderly pulled it away from her head, before setting it on the bedside table.

Amelia couldn't help but smile. It was so domesticated, and rather sensual that they would be helping each other undress. She felt him carefully starting to slide the pins out of her hair, gently running his fingers through it as he did so. Once her honey-blonde locks were hung by her shoulders, he then pressed a kiss to her temple, before unzipping her dress. When he realised she had a white, silk chemise underneath, his smile grew even wider. He loved it when she left more to the imagination for him.

He helped her out of the gown, which she then laid on their bed, zipped up and then hung up, carefully storing it in her closet. Raphael had already started to take off his armour, but he soon found Amelia's elegant fingers starting to help him out of it. He smiled down at her as she gazed up at him with a grin of her own, and the next thing he knew, he was being pulled down towards her, and her lips were on his in a slow, tender kiss. The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks that this was his _wife_ that he was kissing. He'd actually _married_ this beautiful woman, and she was actually _his_. They'd made such a big commitment, and the more he thought about it, the more the need inside him grew.

They parted from their kiss as they continued to remove Raphael's armour, and Raphael leaned down to nuzzle her as she removed his belt from his waist, feeling her take in a shaky breath as he then kissed her once again. Once his armour and gear were gone, his hands moved back to silk covered waist, and his kisses now became more heated as he steadily backed her towards their bed. It was a passionate embrace, one that they hadn't really experienced before. Maybe she was feeling the same way as him, and she was also thrilled at the realisation that they were now actually _married_.

"From this day, I vow to always love and cherish you..." Amelia whispered as he moved his head to her neck, "You're the most amazing man I ever met."

She bit back a moan as he gently nibbled at her throat, moving one hand to cup the back of his head, while her other wrapped around his large shoulder.

"You're strong, brave, loyal and protective." She whispered again, gasping as he lay her on their bed and then pinned her arms above her head, continuing to kiss her neck, shoulders and upper chest lovingly, "You're the only husband I intend on having, and I'm gonna love you 'til my last breath... You mean the world to me, Raphael... I love you..."

She was met with a deep, passionate kiss as Raphael released her arms, and with a very contented hum and a heavy sigh she wrapped her arms around him, curling into his large form. Raphael ran his hands over her bare thighs before he steadily started to push the chemise upward, before finally pulling it over her head, leaving her in white silk underwear.

"From this day, I vow to always love and cherish you..." His voice was deep and soft as he spoke, kissing Amelia's lips tenderly before she started to kiss his neck in return, "I never thought I'd be in a relationship with anyone, never mind such a beautiful person like you..."

He hissed in a breath as Amelia's hands wandered over his body, her mouth exploring his broad shoulders before they began to move across the expanse of his neck.

"You've taught me how to love, how to live, and you've made me a better person." He breathed out, a deep moan escaping his lips as Amelia's hand wandered to his lower plastron, "You make me happier than I ever believed I could be. I love you with everything that I am, and I'm gonna do everything I can to make you happy. I love you, so much..."

Feeling relieved that now they'd got their private vows out of the way, the couple met in another fiery kiss, and Amelia felt Raphael's hands move to her bra, and he carefully, skilfully unhooked it before gently removing it from her body, dropping it to the floor by their bed. He explored every inch of her with his large hands, feeling her body melting into his touch as he then leaned down to kiss her more tenderly. Their lips moved slowly together as he settled himself between her legs, before he once again began to make his way downward, feeling her hands cupping his bandanna-clad head as he roamed further and further towards her lower abdomen.

She watched him quickly remove her underwear, and she exchanged a tender smile with him as he then returned to her, allowing his tail to drop down as he supported himself on his right arm, using his left hand to lovingly stroke over her hair. Their eyes met as she removed his bandanna, and once it was gone from his handsome face, they smiled at each other again, before their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss.

Their lower halves brushed together and Amelia took in a deep breath, allowing Raphael to line himself up against her. He kissed her again, pressing against her, which caused her to try and angle herself so that she was more comfortable. She took him in her hand, pressing her forehead to his as he carefully eased inside her, before retreating again ever so slightly to make sure she could adjust to his size.

Once she was settled and comfortable, Raphael rested lightly on top of her, kissing her lips gently as he began to move inside of her. There was no need to rush this. This was their first night together as husband and wife, and he was going to make sure that both of them enjoyed it. Their lips were almost touching as he steadily rocked his hips against hers, and as Amelia's head began to tip backward with pleasure, Raphael leaned down and started to kiss her neck, his free hand reaching to take a hold of hers.

Fingers entwined, bodies moving together, both of them savoured the feeling of being in one another's arms. He could feel Amelia's muscles tightening, and tightening, until after several moments, he felt her reach her climax as she let out a high pitched, breathy moan into the dim light of their bedroom, her fingers gripping his tightly. He soon followed her with a low growl, burying his face in her shoulder as he slowed to a stop, ensuring to keep himself partially supported so that Amelia wouldn't have to take all of his weight.

"I love you, so much..." She whispered, cupping the back of Raphael's head as she drew him closer to kiss him, "Oh, Raphael..."

She breathed out his name in a long sigh, almost as if she'd had a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, and she seemed to try and pull him closer to her, nuzzling against his neck gently. Raphael cradled her to him and lovingly kissed her temple, releasing her hand and gently stroking it over her hair again as he had earlier.

"I love you too." He whispered in return, looking down at her with nothing but adoration in his eyes as a big grin crossed his face.

Beaming up at him, his wife settled down against the pillows as he moved away from her, allowing her to shuffle to her own side of the bed, where she turned out the bedside lamp. In the darkness of the room, Amelia moved over to Raphael and rested against him, allowing him to envelope her in his big, hulking arms. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her to him, smiling softly to himself.

"You have no idea how scared I was today." He whispered, brushing his fingers through her hair.

"I heard you throwing up." Amelia chuckled, "I know exactly how scared you were. I was pretty scared too."

"But, we did it." He said quietly, kissing her forehead, "You're my wife now."

"And you're my husband." She replied sweetly, "It's so grown up, isn't it?"

"I guess it is." Raphael let out a deep laugh, kissing her forehead again, "I'm so glad we did this."

"You and me both." Amelia smiled, humming as she leaned into his arms, "Now, it's been a long, wonderful, yet stressful day. So... We'd better get some rest. I have a feeling we'll have some very hungover turtles to deal with in the morning."

Raphael grinned against her hair and breathed her in, feeling so grateful that he was able to hold her that way. He never thought he would have so much as a friendship with a human woman, never mind a marriage with one. He could feel her slowly sinking into his arms, and as he soothed her to sleep, he thanked his lucky stars that she was his, and that no-one would be able to take her away from him.

* * *

 _ **Six Months Later**_

Sitting on the toilet seat, Raphael looked across at Amelia, who was bouncing her knee nervously from her own position at the edge of the bath, her eyes glued to the stopwatch on her phone. As it beeped, they both shared an anxious look before Amelia got to her feet and wandered over to the sink. Her heart sank as she picked up the white stick that sat there, and she turned to Raphael, who already knew what she was about to tell him, despite the fact that she hadn't actually spoken yet.

"Negative."

Her voice sounded so broken as the word left her lips, and her face was wearing an utterly devastated expression. Raphael let out a sigh and he nodded, getting to his feet slowly before pulling his upset wife into his arms. They'd been trying for a baby for around four months. Nothing was happening. This was the sixth negative pregnancy test, and Amelia was clearly feeling upset about the fact that she wasn't getting pregnant.

"Okay..." Raphael spoke softly since his wife was so devastated, "Six tests and nothing. I think it's time we spoke to Donnie. If either of us has an issue, we need to find out what it is. If not, we need to make a choice as to where we go from here."

"You mean stop trying, don't you." Amelia whispered, closing her eyes sadly.

"Possibly." Raphael muttered, kissing her head, "I don't wanna see you go through this every time you take a test. _I_ don't wanna go through this every time you take a test... It's probably my fault anyway... You know... Having fucked up DNA and all..."

"Stop that." Amelia said quietly, "It's not anyone's fault. But, I think you're right. We need to speak to Donnie."

Raphael could sense it. She was going into that stony mood where she'd try and push whatever she was feeling down into the pits of her stomach, despite the fact that it was hurting her to do so. He rubbed her back and held her closer to him, knowing how much she must've been hurting. This wasn't news to him. He never expected to be able to have kids, but for Amelia, she'd _always_ wanted children, so this was taking it's toll on her.

"Come on." He said quietly, "The sooner we do this, the better."

Amelia nodded, discarding the pregnancy test in the trash before heading out of the bathroom with her husband in tow. Donatello was just in the kitchen when they came down the stairs, and as soon as he saw the couple, his smile faded from his face. He knew that they were trying for a baby, and he knew that it wasn't working. He'd taken samples from both Raphael and Amelia to determine if there was any issue with either of their reproductive systems, and since they'd clearly had another negative test, he knew it was time to tell them what he'd found.

"Come on, guys." He said softly, clutching his coffee cup in his hands, "I've got some stuff I wanna talk to you about."

Amelia anxiously wrung her hands in front of her as she and Raphael followed him into his lab. Raphael shut the door behind him and then he and Amelia grabbed a chair, looking to the younger turtle expectantly. They'd first talked about babies to him when they started trying, asking if it was even possible for them to procreate, given the rather astounding differences in their genetic make-up. Donatello had told them that the chances were very slim, but it had never been tested, so they didn't know if it was completely impossible or not.

"So... First of all, I wanna reassure you both that everything's in working order. You're both definitely fertile." Donatello said, pushing his glasses up onto his face, "The issue is that your DNA can't combine properly. Amelia, yours seems to be overpowering Raphael's, despite his mutation. Also, your womb isn't the ideal place to house a turtle-human hybrid. So... I'm almost certain that you won't be able to carry such a baby to full term, if you do happen to get pregnant."

"So you're saying that if I got pregnant, the baby would die?" Amelia asked, sadness glazing her eyes as Raphael took her hand.

"I'm afraid the chances of that are incredibly high. As I said last time we talked, it's never been tried and tested." Donatello said sadly, "But, from my research, I've determined that the likelihood is that you would miscarry. And no-one wants you and Raph, or an unborn child to have to suffer something like that."

"Is there anything else we can do?" Raphael asked, wrapping an arm around Amelia as he saw her starting to wipe tears from her eyes, "Anything at all?"

"Well, I've obviously done a lot of background research before I came up with this plan, but..." Donatello wheeled towards a large crate that was sitting on the floor, and then picked it up in his strong arms before wheeling back towards his brother and sister-in-law, "I may have found a way to give you a baby. I can't guarantee it'll work, but I'll give it a try if you're happy for me to."

"W-What is it?" Amelia asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Well... In this box, there's an incubator that I've built as a prototype." Donatello began, lifting the device out of the crate and then placing it on his messy desk, "I've also made a fake egg. It sounds stupid, I know, but it's something I can monitor properly while it's in the incubator, rather than using an unfertilised turtle egg, and I can also ensure that the conditions are suitable for the baby. No-one's ever cross-bred a human with a mutant turtle, so I don't know what to expect."

Amelia and Raphael nodded, both of them tightly holding onto each other's hands. This was huge for them, and Donatello knew it, which was why he was ensuring that he explained _everything_ to them carefully, including the risks.

"What I plan to do is take DNA from the two of you, kind of like they do with the dinosaur and frog DNA in _Jurassic Park_ , and combine it very carefully." He said slowly, ensuring that they could take in the information, "The best thing to do would be to take more of yours, Raph, than Amelia's, because hers is so much stronger than yours is. So, I'll then transfer the combined DNA to the fake egg, which I can then monitor well enough to attend to the baby's needs."

"But, surely you can't just put this DNA into an empty, fake environment and expect it to grow into a baby..." Amelia whispered, "I mean, isn't there a sac for nutrients, and doesn't it need to expand?"

"The egg I've designed is capable of expanding, and I'll be supplying the nutrients to the sac but, that should develop with the baby, like an umbilical cord." Donatello replied with a smile, "I just want to make sure that the conditions for the baby are ideal. The reason I'm not using an unfertilised egg is to ensure that I can monitor it as closely as necessary."

"So... What are the chances of this working?" Raphael asked, his eyes full of concern.

"I can't give you definitive statistics, Raph, because this has never been done before. There is a chance it will work. But, there's also a chance that it won't." Donatello replied quietly, "If it doesn't, we can try again, but I don't know how you'd feel about that."

"I don't wanna continue with it if this first baby doesn't make it." Raphael said with a shake of his head, "I'm not going through it more than once."

"Neither am I." Amelia breathed out, wiping her eyes, "We're interfering with nature enough as it is."

Donatello nodded with understanding and then reached out to Amelia, taking her spare hand in his own. He squeezed it in an attempt to reassure her, which seemed to work. She offered him a small smile and then wiped her eyes again, thanking Raphael as he offered her a tissue from the box that sat on Donatello's desk.

"Are you happy for me to give this a try?" The purple-clad turtle asked, his grey-green eyes sparkling in the dim light of the lab.

Even though Amelia was incredibly anxious as to what the outcome could be of this unusual form of fertility treatment, she knew that Donatello wouldn't have even brought this up if he hadn't put a lot of thought and effort into researching it to find out everything he could. He was talking about creating a life, so it was good to know he'd taken the matter very seriously. The way he'd handled their conversations was so sensitive, and he'd done his best to make sure that everything had been explained to them in full.

"Yes." Amelia said sweetly, clearing her throat with a warm smile on her face, "I'm happy, if Raph's happy."

"Yeah." Raphael said quietly, his voice deep and gruff, "I'm happy to give it a try. Just once though."

It was definitely a one-time thing in his eyes. If it worked, of course, they may want more children, but he didn't want to have to suffer the loss of child after child, and he didn't want Amelia or anyone else to feel the same loss, so if this didn't work out, he was adamant that they wouldn't try it again. He wasn't prepared to put his wife through any more heartbreak. His brother obviously understood that Raphael definitely meant what he was saying, and that made Raphael feel a lot better.

"Okay." Donatello smiled and sat back in his seat, "Well, I'll get to work on some more research, I'll test the incubator and make whatever adjustments I need to, and then I'll come and get your DNA so I can make a start."

A big grin made its way onto Amelia's face, and the young woman got out of her seat, wrapping her lanky brother in a big, warm hug. Raphael watched her thank Donatello repeatedly as she pressed kiss after kiss to his cheek, and he could only hope that things would work out, because if not, she'd be absolutely crushed.

When Amelia finally let Donatello go, Raphael went to thank his brother. If this _did_ work, and they were actually able to have a son or a daughter, he'd never be able to repay Donatello for working such a miracle. After sharing a brief hug with his brother, Amelia decided to go and make some coffee, which Raphael was starting to take a liking to, which left him and his younger brother alone.

"You _are_ happy to do this, right?" Donatello asked in a near whisper, "You didn't agree to just make Amelia feel better?"

Raphael probably should've been a little offended by the question, but he could see why Donatello had asked him. When Michelangelo mentioned kids after Raphael had announced his plans to propose to Amelia, he'd freaked out. Now, however, his opinion on having children was quite changed. Even though he was scared to death of being a dad, the thought of having his own kids was amazing.

"No, I want this." He answered just as quietly, "But, I mean it, Donnie. If it goes wrong, no matter how much she gets upset, or how much she begs you to try again, you can't give in to her. It's not fair to mess around with nature that way."

"Good." Donatello answered, "Try not to let her get too excited, just in case."

"Sure." Raphael nodded, spinning around at the sound of Amelia practically screeching from the kitchen.

"Michelangelo! This coffee maker is _not_ what you should be using to try and make juice! This has got to stop!" She was yelling, "This is the third time in three weeks that you've broken the coffee maker!"

"I'm sorry, Amelia! I thought it was going to work this time, for sure!" Michelangelo could be heard running towards the kitchen, his tone pleading.

Raphael and Donatello were trying not to laugh as they listened to Amelia scolding the youngest turtle some more. She would be an awesome mother. Her kids would love her, but she'd be pretty scary if they made her mad enough.

"Look, I'm going online right now to order a juicer." She said sternly, "If you so much as touch this coffee maker again for something other than coffee, I'll lock it up, and you'll have to ask my permission to use it. Am I clear?"

When Michelangelo let out a rather frightened sounding whimper, Raphael and Donatello had to bury their faces in their hands to keep from laughing out loud, and they both listened again as Amelia handed their brother the broken coffee maker.

"You'd better take that to Donnie and tell him you broke it again." She told him angrily, "Right now."

"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Michelangelo whined, "I said I was sorry."

"Not good enough this time, Michelangelo." Amelia replied, before her footsteps were heard heading in the direction of her office, where her computer was.

When Michelangelo turned up at the lab, his face flushed with shame and his hands full of clogged up coffee maker, Raphael and Donatello lost control and burst into hysterical, loud laughter. Out of embarrassment, Michelangelo put the coffee maker on Donatello's desk and slowly walked out of the lab, leaving his amused brothers behind.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **A/N (Please Read!):** Okay, so I literally couldn't think of any other logical way for Amelia and Raphael to be able to conceive a baby. Their genetic make-ups are so different and the human body isn't suitable to house a baby turtle, so I didn't think a pregnancy would work. Plus, imagine trying to push out a baby with a shell... Sheesh!

Anyway, I couldn't really go with a fully human baby, because Amelia and Raphael wouldn't want a human baby to be kept in the sewers like that, so the only alternative I could come with was some bizarre kind of IVF treatment, which is what Donnie's providing. I believe that it's been done before in fanfics but with unfertilised turtle eggs. I've gone down a different path and had Donnie design the artificial environment so that he can monitor the baby's development closely and amend any conditions necessary to ensure its survival, so... Please, don't hate me for not going with the pregnancy! It just doesn't make sense to me, that's all. Anyway, thank you for reading the chapter and taking the time to read my ramblings at the end! As always, it's greatly appreciated! Much loves! xx

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	11. Excitement

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi guys! Again, thanks for sticking with this story so far! I know the chapters are long, and I know there's a lot to take in, particularly in the last one, but it means the world to me that you guys are staying with me and continuing to support me! Hopefully, within the next 24 hours, there will be a colour and grayscale image of Amelia and Raphael on Deviantart, along with the cover for their "photo album" which is a project I'm starting during the little bits of rest time I get over Christmas. If you want to check them out, you can find them under my DA username: **_RosesandThorns666._**

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Hi! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're excited, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for taking the time to review again! Since this fic has been completed since 27th October, which is when I published it, all major plot points will stay as they are. I don't intend to change anything, so you'll have to read on to find out what happens with the baby :)

 **The Silvernote:** I'm glad you liked the vows! And thanks, I'm super pleased that you think it makes sense, because I was a bit concerned about going down a different path to a normal pregnancy, so thanks for the vote of confidence :P Enjoy this chapter, hun!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Eleven: Excitement }**

It was a very tiresome, nerve-wracking process, but Donatello was now confident enough to tell Raphael and Amelia that they were going to be parents.

After four weeks of them being unbelievably patient, he had finally been able to reveal that in around four and a half months, the family would be welcoming a newborn baby. He was confident, judging by how well he'd managed to tend to the growing child's needs so far, that he'd be able to get the baby to full term, which he predicted would be five months, as that was how long it generally took turtles to hatch. He was able to provide it with the right nutrients, and he was trying to get as much information as possible to prepare them for the baby's hatching.

Raphael had been overjoyed. While he'd lost a lot of colour in his face at the news that he was going to be a first-time father, he came round to the idea _very_ quickly, and Donatello was pleased to see his brother looking so ecstatic. He had a feeling though, that Raphael would need a lot of encouragement, because it wasn't exactly a secret that Raphael didn't think highly of himself, and Donatello had no doubt that Raphael would think himself incapable of being a good dad.

Amelia had cried her heart out with happiness at the news that she was going to be a mother. She'd been so giddy about it that she'd almost knocked Donatello off his feet as she'd run to embrace him, and then she'd been unable to keep the news to herself, so now, the whole family, including April and Vern, knew that they were expecting a new arrival in the February of the following year.

Raphael couldn't stop thinking about it. Even when he was fighting Foot soldiers or beating the living hell out of Purple Dragons, the back of his mind was always filled with the image of him and Amelia with their baby. Michelangelo kept asking him if he wanted a boy or a girl, and he always said he wouldn't mind either, which was true. He'd love a boy because he'd grown up in a family of boys. He knew how to be around boys. But a girl would give him a new sense of responsibility, and he was sure that Amelia really wanted a little girl of her own. Her own mother had messed up so much with her, that Amelia wanted to give a little girl the childhood _she_ wanted.

As time had passed, Amelia had started to open up more and more about her family, and about how hard it was for her growing up, being singled out like she was some sort of outcast. The only saving grace had been her grandparents, and because Raphael knew how much she'd missed her grandparents, he thought it would be nice to name the child after one of them. So, they decided that a boy would be named Bobby-George, after her grandfather, and a girl would be named Daisy Mae, after her grandmother.

"Do you think you're gonna be able to handle changing diapers, Raph?" Donatello smirked as the brothers jumped from rooftop to rooftop after a night's patrol, "You can't let Amelia deal with all the mess on her own, you know."

"Hey, I'm a man. I can handle a dirty diaper." Raphael said indignantly, "It's the amount of dirty diapers that I might have trouble with."

"You know, this is a whole new ball game for you!" Leonardo called as he and Michelangelo jumped across to the next building, "Sleepless nights, changing diapers, feeding, bathing, routines... It's gonna be hard with training and patrols!"

"Well, I might have to take some paternity leave!" Raphael called back, following his brothers with Donatello by his side, "I'm pretty sure Sensei will give me a bit of time off to bond with my kid!"

"Hey, I think Sensei's the most excited out of all of us!" Michelangelo yelled, whooping as he jumped off the edge of the building he was on, towards the manhole below.

Once they were in the sewers, rather than sliding on their shells, the brothers decided to walk back to the lair, since Amelia was less than impressed at having to scrub Raphael's shell clean after they'd slid through sewer water last time.

"He totally did a fist-pump when he found out you guys were gonna have a baby." Michelangelo continued as they set off walking, "He doesn't know that anyone saw him, but I did."

"Sensei would _never_ fist pump." Leonardo scoffed, "I don't believe it."

"Oh, he totally did." Michelangelo nodded sincerely, "He's super excited about being a grandpa."

"He probably never thought he'd get the chance." Donatello shrugged, flinching as Raphael wrapped an arm across his shoulders, pulling him in for a quick one-armed hug.

"Now he will, thanks to you." The large turtle said, patting Donatello's arm as Leonardo walked in front.

It was exciting for all of them, but Splinter had not only seen a son married and gained a daughter, but he was now about to gain a grandchild as well, which was probably a wonderful thing for him. Raphael had no doubt that Splinter would be an incredibly loving and doting grandfather, and he also had no doubt that his baby boy or baby girl would love him just as much.

"You know, you're gonna have to be more careful on patrols now, right?" Leonardo called back to him, "You have a wife and baby to take care of. You can't be taking risks."

"I know." Raphael answered, swallowing thickly, "Believe me, it's been on my mind for a while now."

The thought of him leaving his wife and child without his care or protection was awful. It wasn't that he couldn't trust his brothers and father to look after them, but he would much rather be there to see his child grow up and to grow old with the love of his life. A sudden heaviness settled on his heart as he thought about how devastated Amelia would be if anything happened to him, and as he tried to push the horrible feeling deep down inside of him, all he wanted was to get home, and be in his wife's arms again.

When they got home, Donatello saw that the light in his lab was on, and the four turtles quietly approached the room to find Splinter sitting by the incubator that his grandchild was housed in. He was rubbing Amelia's back as she peacefully slept with her head in her arms, leaning on the desk that the incubator was sitting on.

"She didn't want to leave the baby." Splinter said quietly, continuing to rub her back, "She fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago."

Raphael shook his head and smiled fondly, before he stepped forward and knelt beside his sleeping wife, running a hand into her hair. Splinter got up and ushered his sons out of the room, so that Raphael could get Amelia to bed. Tenderly continuing to stroke Amelia's hair, the second eldest turtle leaned towards her ear, his voice deep and gentle as he called her name.

"Amelia?"

Amelia's eyes steadily opened, and she immediately started to smile as soon as she saw Raphael next to her. He continued to stroke her hair as he smiled back at her, hearing her let out a sleepy hum as she lifted herself up from the table. He almost didn't want to disturb her but he knew her back would be incredibly sore the day after if he didn't, and if she was working in her office, the last thing she needed was a sore back.

"Hey..." She whispered, wiping her eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave the baby."

"I know, it's okay." Raphael said with a bigger grin, "Come on. You need to come to bed. You can come back and sit with the baby tomorrow, okay?"

Amelia nodded and allowed Raphael to help her to her feet, leaning against him as she woke herself up properly by rubbing at her eyes and taking in a few deep breaths. Once she was more alert, the two set off walking out of the lab, and she gave each of her brothers a hug and a kiss before she then gave her father the same. The two then slowly made their way up to bed, while Donatello went to check on the baby, and everyone else went to their own rooms.

Once in their bedroom, Amelia turned on the lamp beside her bed as Raphael closed the door, and before the young woman could get into bed, she was scooped up into Raphael's arms, as he gave her a big, tight, loving hug. It lasted for about a minute, and Amelia realised that something was wrong with her husband. He didn't do things like this unless something had upset him or was worrying him.

"Everything okay?" She asked gently as he pulled back to look at her, her hand moving to cup his cheek.

Raphael leaned into the touch, closing his eyes before he turned to press a kiss to the palm of her dainty hand. He gently took her wrist and started to caress the back of her hand with his thumb, before he pulled it away from his face, holding onto it carefully.

"I've just been thinking about you and the baby." He said quietly, "About how careful I'm gonna be now that I have the two of you to take care of. I got thinking about how you guys would be if anything happened to me, and it hurt me so much to think that I might not be here to look after you both."

"Honey..." Amelia breathed, frowning softly as she squeezed his hand, bringing her other up to tenderly stroke over his bandanna clad head, "I know how scared you've been about this stuff, okay? But, I also know how skilled you are when you fight, and I know that you're a lot more careful now than you used to be. Please, don't keep going over this in your head. You know we'll be looked after by your family if..."

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. It was obvious that she couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. Raphael reached up to then cup her cheek this time, carefully brushing a strand of curled honey-blonde hair from her angelic face. Her big blue eyes bore into his, swimming with emotion as he carefully drew her closer with his other hand, leaving the limb resting at the small of her back.

"I know you'd be looked after, babe... I just... I'd rather be the one here to take care of you guys... You and the baby are my own family unit, and I feel responsible for the two of you." Raphael sighed heavily, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, it just gets to me sometimes. I'm scared... I don't even know if I'm gonna make a good dad."

"You are going to be an _amazing_ dad." Amelia said, her voice breaking as she spoke, "We're gonna be learning together, and I've got no doubt that you'll be the best dad you can be. The fact that we're having this conversation shows me how much you want to be a good dad, okay? You're gonna be fantastic."

"You really think so?" Raphael asked her, gently stroking her back.

"I _know_ so." She replied with a smile and a sincere nod, taking in his tired eyes and his sagging shoulders, "You're exhausted, baby. Time for bed."

* * *

After a day's hard work on her newest book, Amelia had been to see the baby in Donatello's lab, and then headed up to her room to get her pyjamas so that she could take a shower and dress in something more comfortable. However, as she headed into the bedroom, she was met with the sight of Raphael hastily shoving something under his side of the bed.

Stopping still in the doorway, Amelia put a hand on her hip, looking extremely angry and irritated as she glared at her husband, who was sitting on the bed looking _very_ suspicious. If there was one thing she wasn't going to tolerate, it was her husband hiding things from her. She hoped for his sake that it wasn't porn that he'd just shoved under the bed. She walked right over to the bed, knelt down and then reached underneath, expecting to pull out a porn magazine, or something similar. Instead, she pulled out a pair of knitting needles that were embedded in what looked like a red blanket, with a ball of wool still attached to the end. She sat it on Raphael's lap and stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Why are you hiding this from me?" She asked him, sounding more annoyed than she meant to, "Damn it, Raph! I thought I'd caught you looking at porn or something!"

"It's not exactly _masculine_ is it?" Raphael replied, crossing his arms, "You know, knitting for a baby is something you see grandmothers doing. Not dads-to-be."

Amelia sighed and rolled her eyes, sitting on the bed next to her husband's legs. She took in a deep breath and gently ran her hand from his knee, down his shin, and back again in a soothing gesture. She was sick of him behaving like this over something as simple as knitting. Alright, so it wasn't seen as being masculine, but that didn't mean he had to be embarrassed by the fact that he could it. She suddenly remembered what he'd just said. Knitting for a baby...

"Wait... You're knitting this for the baby?" She asked, her mouth curving into a smile, "Is it a blanket for our baby?"

Raphael ducked his head and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Letting out a big sigh, she took a hold of one of his hands, squeezing it lovingly, before returning her spare hand to his leg, rubbing it soothingly. He was so adorable when he was embarrassed.

"Why are you so embarrassed about this?" She asked him, earning nothing but silence, "Raph, you're making something for our baby. It's incredibly sweet, and it's certainly nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Did you really think I was looking at porn?" Raphael's voice was soft as he spoke.

"With the way you shoved your knitting under the bed, I did." Amelia laughed quietly.

"Sorry." Raphael chuckled, looking at the blanket on his lap before gingerly picking it up, "Do you like it?"

"I love it." Amelia said sweetly, smiling up at him before leaning forward to kiss him on the brow, "Now, I'm going to take a shower and then start cooking dinner. Stop being so ashamed of your skills, Raph."

As she walked away from him, she took her yoga pants and a t-shirt from the Ottoman at the end of the bed, and she felt his eyes on her from the moment she left his side, to the moment she closed the bedroom door behind her. She took the time to enjoy her shower, relishing in the feeling of the hot water running over her aching shoulders. She'd spent a lot of the day hunched over her desk, unable to do anything overly productive, and now, she had cramps and aches in her back and shoulders. She couldn't stop wanting to be near the baby, or thinking about the baby.

She went every day, several times, to sit with the egg. Donatello must've been sick to the back teeth of seeing her, but he continued to reassure that everything was fine, and to keep her up to date with her child's progress, even though she didn't always ask. Raphael also went several times a day, even if it was just to say ' _Good morning_ ' and ' _Goodnight_ '.

After her shower, she went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner, with the baby still on her mind. The thought of being a mother was terrifying to her. Her own mother had been terrible with her, and she didn't want to make the same mistakes with her baby. Donatello had warned her that the baby would most likely look a lot like Raphael, and have very little in the way of human-like features, but she was more than happy with that. She would rather have given Raphael a child that looked like him, rather than like a human. She didn't want either herself or Raphael to see their child and feel guilty that he or she was being kept in the sewers, if they looked human enough to fit in with other people on the surface.

As Amelia broke free of her thoughts, she looked around the kitchen for something to cook for dinner, she realised that she needed to go grocery shopping, and soon. She only had the ingredients to make a cheese omelette and right now, the thought of omelette made her feel queasy.

"Huh... Take out, then." She muttered to herself, before turning to the brothers and their father who were watching television in the living area, "Hey, guys? Chinese or pizza?"

"Oooh! Are we having take-out?" Michelangelo asked excitedly.

"I haven't had chance to go grocery shopping yet, so yes." Amelia laughed, "We're having take-out."

"Did I hear someone say take-out?" Raphael's voice filled the air as he headed down from his and Amelia's room, and he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around his wife's front and pulling her into his chest, "It's gotta be pizza, babe."

"Yeah, it's a Friday. We always have pizza on a Friday, whether it's take-out or not." Donatello said with a big grin.

"Leo? Dad? Are you guys happy to have pizza?" Amelia asked, rubbing Raphael's forearms where they rested around her waist.

"Yeah, of course." Leonardo smiled, watching his father nodding in agreement.

"April and Vern are coming over. Do you want me to see if they'll pick us up some food?" Donatello asked, earning a relieved nod from Amelia.

"Yeah, please." She said quietly, watching Donatello head out of the living area to call April, "Okay, let's get some drinks. Who wants what?"

Within ten minutes, there was a tray of coffee, tea, Orange Crush and water sitting on the coffee table, and the family were all sat around the television, getting various gaming systems lined up for when Vern and April arrived. Raphael had warmed up a little more to Vern since the bachelor party, after a rather drunken conversation during which Raphael had thanked Vern for taking care of Amelia when she'd left home all those months ago, and the conversation had been kind of emotional for Raphael. Vern, of course, had promised to not tell _anyone_ about it through his fear of being pummelled by the huge turtle.

Amelia sat with her legs draped gracefully across Raphael's, a cup of tea held in her hands as she watched Michelangelo have a practice round of _Tekken 5_. Raphael gently kept an arm hooked around her to support her, and he nursed a can of Orange Crush in his free hand. Leonardo watched fondly as Raphael kissed Amelia's head and as she leaned into him, taking a sip of her tea. It made him feel so much better to see the two of them looking so relaxed and so happy.

April and Vern arrived within the next few minutes, with multiple boxes of pizza. Vern had even brought a twelve pack of beer so that there was enough for everyone to at least have one bottle if they wanted to, and the unusual family settle almost straight away to start feasting on pizza, and playing video games. Vern seemed to be growing as a person, lately, and he was more willing to interact with the guys than he had been before, and even Raphael appeared to be enjoying his company, which said a lot.

After a few boxes of pizza and several rounds of various video games, Michelangelo and Raphael were racing one another on _Mario Kart_ , so Amelia took the opportunity to ask April and Vern if they'd like to see the baby. Pizza in hand, the three humans headed towards Donatello's lab, with the purple-clad turtle in tow, and he led them to the incubator where they could see the egg.

"Oh, wow..." April breathed, looking into the incubator with a grin, "It's just amazing. You're actually having a baby of your own, with yours and Raph's DNA... And you don't have to deal with the pregnancy or giving birth."

"I would've loved a pregnancy, I think." Amelia replied with a sigh, "But Donnie doesn't think it's a possibility, or that I'd be able to carry a baby full term."

"So, uh... How long 'til it's born?" Vern asked, trying to appear interested as he looked at the egg, taking a bite of his pizza.

"Three months and three weeks." Donatello replied with a smile.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Vern asked around a mouthful of food, eyeing Donatello as he injected something into a tube at the top of the incubator.

"I won't be able to tell properly until he or she is born." Donatello said quietly, "I think Amelia's hoping for a girl."

Amelia's smile could've brightened the room, and she nodded her head eagerly, looking back at the egg which looked so warm in the glow of the lamp in the incubator. April let out a rather girlie giggle, startling both Vern and Donatello as they turned to look at her.

"Awww! I think that Raphael would be great with a girl." April gushed, sharing a beaming grin with Amelia, "Oh, she'd wrap him around her little finger."

"Women and babies, huh?" Vern laughed, nudging Donatello playfully as the turtle scanned the baby's vitals with his goggles.

Donatello cracked a smile and removed the goggles quickly, satisfied that the baby was in good health. Donatello didn't like Vern very much, considering the fact that he happily took all the credit for defeating Shredder, and never so much as offered them a thank you for allowing him to do so. He put up with the annoying cameraman for April and Amelia's sake. Apart from April, Vern was the only other human friend that Amelia had.

"Believe me, we're all this excited about having a new addition to the family." Donatello chuckled, folding his arms across his chest, "Mikey barely stops talking about it."

"Huh..." Vern huffed, nodding his head, "Well, I'd better go and see what the guys are up to."

The two women and the tall turtle watched the cameraman hurry out of the lab, and then turned to each other, all rolling their eyes at his behaviour. As they all went back to observing the baby, the group chatted excitedly about their new arrival, all eager to meet the little turtle-human hybrid that was about to change all of their lives in such a wonderful way.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	12. Life Changing

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! So, we're progressing nicely with this fic so far, and I know I do this every chapter, but it does mean a lot to me that you're sticking with it, so thank you! Also, I uploaded the images to Deviantart that I mentioned in the last chapter, if you want to see Amelia, she's on DA with Raph :D I'm going to start my next drawing of her ASAP, but I'll be taking a break from that kind of thing over the next month or so because of the work I need to do for my business. Don't worry, I'll continue to upload the chapters of this fic until it's finished, I'll count up review, poll and PM votes, and I'll announce the turtle that I'll be writing about next in the A/N of this fic's last chapter.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for the review! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** We know it doesn't matter that it's not masculine, but Raph is adorably insecure so of course he cares ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Twelve: Life Changing }**

As the baby's hatching date drew ever closer, Amelia and Raphael made sure they had the basics ready to welcome their new arrival.

In their bedroom now sat a newly assembled crib that Raphael and Leonardo had put together, along with a changing table that sat against the far wall next to the crib. The baby would be in diapers until he or she was potty trained, and due to Donatello's prediction that the baby would be smaller than the average human newborn, but much bigger than a baby turtle, Amelia knew she would have to buy diapers that would be used for premature babies, in order for them to fit the child.

There were just two weeks to go until the baby was due to hatch, and Raphael's nerves were starting to settle in. He and Amelia had shared some difficult conversations over the past few nights about how he didn't know if he was ready to be a dad, and how he didn't believe himself capable of being a good enough father to this baby. Amelia had promised to be there for him, whether he struggled with fatherhood or not. She tried to remind him that she was new to this too, and no amount of research could fully prepare her for being a mother. They'd learn together, and they had no doubt that Splinter would help them both as much as possible, since he raised four boys on his own and he clearly knew what he was doing.

It wasn't going to be difficult to obtain other things, like extra bottles, diapers, toys, or clothing, if necessary, and that kind of shopping could be done on the day of the baby's hatching. However, things like the baby bath, the diaper genie, and the other bits of furniture, were bought in time so that the baby had the essentials. Donatello was going to develop a recipe for the kind of the formula that he or she would need, in order to grow strong and healthy.

As Raphael and his brothers left the dojo on this rainy afternoon, the first place he went to was the lab, where he knew his wife would be. This time, she was sat next to the incubator, reading one of her favourite childhood stories to the baby. It was amazing to see her looking so excited, even though he knew that she was just as scared as him. He smiled fondly as she closed the book and then leaned forward to gently kiss the glass of the incubator, before she patted it softly.

"Hey, darlin'." He said quietly, holding up his hands in defence and letting out a soft laugh as she startled and dropped the book in her hand, "Whoa, whoa, whoa... Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."

Amelia picked up the book and walked towards her husband, a half-hearted scowl present on her beautiful face. She brushed a lock of loosely-curled honey-blonde hair behind her ear with her head ducked, and it looked utterly adorable to Raphael. How he'd ended up with the love and companionship of someone so beautiful, he didn't know, but he thanked his lucky stars every damn day for her.

"You startled me." She said, her voice gentle and quiet, "I was reading to the baby, so he or she can get used to my voice."

Raphael looked at her worriedly. She was clearly exhausted, and she'd been spending so much time in the lab with the baby lately, which included her still being awake when he came back from patrol. It wasn't healthy, and the last thing she needed to be was exhausted when the baby hatched. Having a conversation about it with her, though, would probably be difficult, considering she always took these kinds of conversations as though they were a personal attack on her, rather than Raphael being concerned for her welfare. Despite his uncertainty about how this would play out, the large turtle took in a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"Amelia, you've been spending a lot of time in here, lately." He said quietly, "You look really tired... I just think you ought to have a bit of time for yourself so you can get some rest. I just don't want you to be too tired when the baby comes, that's all."

"I know, I know..." Amelia said quietly, "I just don't feel right leaving the baby alone."

"Yeah, I get that." Raphael nodded in understanding, tenderly pulling her into his arms, "It's just a couple more weeks, babe, that's all."

"A couple of weeks too many." Amelia breathed, snuggling into his arms with a sigh, "I know I'm being impatient..."

"You are _not_ being impatient." Raphael replied softly, smiling fondly as he kissed the top of her head, "Come on. Mikey's making dinner."

He watched Amelia glance back towards the incubator, and she slowly moved out of his arms to run her hand over their baby's home one more time, before she leaned towards the glass and gently started to whisper. Raphael figured she was saying her goodbyes, so he waited patiently. He made sure he came and talked to their child first thing in the morning, and then last thing at night before bed. If he could, he'd visit in between, just to talk to the baby so it could get used to his voice, too, and the goodbye was something he always found hard, but he made the effort to tell the baby that he loved him or her, and that he'd see them later.

He saw Amelia return to him, but then she glanced again at the incubator, before finally finding the strength to leave their child behind to join the rest of the family. Raphael bit his lip and eased her towards the living area, rubbing her arm when he saw how forlorn she looked.

"Two weeks. That's all." He reassured her, smiling at Donatello as he headed past them to feed the baby, "See. Donnie's in there with him or her now."

Amelia tiredly rested against him and brought a hand up to pat his plastron gently as they walked together, and he led her to the living area, where Leonardo and Splinter were watching the news. Foot Clan activity was on the rise again, and Amelia was worried that Raphael would have to go out on patrol when the baby was newly born, and she'd be left by herself to care for their child. After the report had ended, Leonardo shook his head and switched channels, noticing how Amelia curled up to Raphael anxiously as they sat on the sofa.

"Don't worry, Amelia." He said softly, "We can manage without Raph for a month."

Amelia closed her eyes as the fear swept over her, bringing her out in a cold sweat. Raphael pulled her closer and took a hold of her hand, stroking the back of it carefully with his thumb. The young woman didn't answer Leonardo's comment, but instead hid her face in Raphael's chest. It was a very scary time for her, considering she was about to become a mother, and not only that, but with Foot Clan activity increasing, she was frightened that they might find the lair again. They'd found it once, so there was nothing to stop them from doing so again, and with a newborn, Amelia didn't want to be in a situation where her baby's life was in danger.

"It's gonna be okay." Raphael told her, sharing a concerned look with his father, "It's gonna be fine. You'll see."

"We're not gonna leave you or the baby unprotected here." Leonardo promised, meeting eyes with his little sister as she turned to look at him, "I swear, we'll do everything in our power to keep you both safe."

Amelia simply nodded, and curled back into Raphael's arms, letting out a deep and tired sigh. If the Foot found the baby, it would put the family in more danger, and God only knew what kind of fate would be in store for the baby if the Foot were able to take her. The thought scared Amelia so much. She didn't want her baby to end up the same way that her brothers had when the lair was invaded the first time. Leonardo got out of his seat to get her some tea, because he knew it always helped to calm her nerves, and as he passed her, he tenderly cupped her head before leaning down to kiss the crown of it, earning a smile of thanks from his younger brother. No-one liked to see Amelia looking so upset.

"I'll get you some tea, Amelia."

"Thank you." The words were whispered, but a small smile came with them as well, which made Raphael feel a little better, "I should see if Mikey needs any help with dinner."

"Stay where you are." Raphael said gently, "You do enough around here."

After a brief moment of uncertainty, Amelia looked across at Splinter, who was sipping his own cup of tea thoughtfully as commercials started to roll on the channel that Leonardo had flipped to. She knew that she and the baby would be kept safe by Splinter, should any dangerous situations arise, because he'd promised as much. She knew how much he loved the child already, since he liked to stop by the lab as often as possible to sit with the egg.

"So. Two weeks to go before the two of you become parents." Splinter said softly, turning to look at them, "It is a very big responsibility, but also a very exciting one."

"We're gonna do our best, Sensei. Don't you worry." Raphael smirked, squeezing Amelia closer to his body.

"Well, I shall help you in any way I can." Splinter said with a smile and a heavy sigh, "I never thought I would be blessed with grandchildren, and now I am about to meet my first. This is a wonderful time for our family."

"Are you ready for sleepless nights, dirty diapers and baby puke?" Michelangelo asked as he joined them on the couch, followed by Leonardo who placed a cup of tea on the coffee table for Amelia.

"Yes, and we're also ready for the laughter and happiness that come along with those things, Mikey." Amelia said with a smile, "You can't tell me you're not excited to meet the baby."

"Oh, I'm super excited. I just don't wanna have to change any diapers." Michelangelo's face was full of disgust as he mentioned the diapers.

"We're all gonna have to pitch in, Mikey." Donatello said as he was approaching from the lab, "Mom and Dad will need a break sometimes."

Michelangelo looked horrified for a moment before he got back up from the couch to go and check on the pizza, which left his seat open for Donatello to steal. The lanky turtle sat down and let out a long sigh, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes tiredly his thumb and index finger. Amelia watched him worriedly, swallowing thickly as she took in the tired look in his eyes. He worked so hard all of the time and never had a break. It wasn't just that, but he'd done so much for their baby, and he was constantly making sure that the child was strong and healthy, which was clearly taking its toll on him.

"You okay, Donnie?" Amelia asked, concerned for her big brother, "Do you want me to get you some coffee?"

"No, thanks. I'm good." Donatello replied with a smile, putting the glasses back on his face, "I gotta say guys, the baby is really strong... You two have got some good genes."

"I think it's more to do with the baby being in your care, Donnie. You've been amazing." Amelia whispered, reaching out to take the tall turtle's hand.

The look in her eyes told Donatello everything he needed to know. He could tell that she felt obligated to show her gratitude and to pay him back for what he'd done, but he squeezed her hand to let her know that there was no need for any of that. He knew that he was getting a beautiful niece or nephew out of it, so that was enough for him.

"I think you guys are more amazing for putting your faith in me." He answered, smiling across at his little sister.

"Dinner's ready!"

At the sound of Michelangelo's voice, the family got out of their seats and headed towards the dining table, where the youngest turtle was serving up the pizza. They continued to chat excitedly about the newest family member, who they were so eager to meet. They'd waited for four and a half long months to meet the child who was about to bring such joy into their lives, and they were all so grateful that the wait was almost over. Soon, their little ray of sunshine would come into the world, and that moment couldn't come quick enough.

* * *

It happened during a quiet afternoon in the lair. The family were all lounged around watching television, and Splinter was meditating in his room. Half way through the movie that they were watching, Donatello's hatching alarm started going off on his watch. Leonardo instantly paused the movie, and everyone stared at each other in shock for a moment. The baby wasn't due to hatch for another week, which was why this was so unexpected, and why Donatello was slightly concerned. In an instant, when they realised what was going on, everyone was out of their seats, and Donatello rushed to the lab with Amelia and Raphael in tow.

Sure enough, in the incubator, the egg was rocking, and it already had a crack in it. The baby was definitely coming, and there was no stopping it, so immediately, Donatello flew into action to carry out the procedure for the hatching that he'd been planning for weeks. The realisation that his child was about to come into the world almost brought Raphael to his knees, and he leaned down to take in a deep breath as Donatello lifted the egg out of the incubator and then put it under the heat lamp that he had waiting on a nearby desk, sitting it in a small pile of blankets.

"Leo, go and get Sensei before he misses this." Donatello told the eldest turtle, who sprinted off in the direction of their father's room, "Mikey, I need clean towels."

Michelangelo ran off in search of towels, while Donatello busied himself with getting the weighing scales and tape measure ready so he could make sure the baby was a good weight and size. Amelia and Raphael gripped each other as they watched part of the shell fly upward with considerable force, to reveal a small, green, five-fingered hand. Amelia's eyes were wide and full of tears, while Raphael just stared in astonishment at the sight of their child's hand. The baby was green skinned... But it had five fingers... What was he or she going to look like?

Donatello came back to observe what was happening just as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Splinter arrived at the lab. He beckoned them over, and Leonardo moved Splinter forward so he could comfort Raphael, who was somewhere between collapsing and breaking into tears. The rat took a hold of Raphael's spare hand and squeezed it while keeping his other paw gently rubbed his son's shell to soothe him. Donatello held onto Amelia's free hand, feeling how tight her grip was as both parents watched their child making his or her own way into the world.

More of the shell started to come away, and Donatello leaned forward to move the broken pieces so that the baby could see his or her way out. They were met with an absolutely beautiful pair of deep blue eyes before a little green head came into the light, and Splinter let out a soft laugh before looking to his second eldest son, who now had tears in his eyes.

"Just like you." He said quietly, feeling his son squeeze his hand in response.

"Here we go..." Donatello breathed, "Come on, kiddo..."

A small cry came from within the egg as the baby fought to free itself, and Donatello gently helped it along by breaking the sides of the shell away. He then grabbed a clean towel and held it out to Amelia, who carefully took it in her shaking hands.

"I'm gonna check whether we have a boy or a girl, and then pass him or her to you, okay?" He said softly, watching her nod as tears spilled from her eyes, "Okay..."

He lifted the baby out of the shell, and after a few seconds of inspection, a bright smile came to his face as he then turned back to the family, showing them the newborn. Just as he'd suspected, the baby was significantly smaller than an average human newborn, but no-one could deny how beautiful the child was. Just as Donatello handed the baby over to Amelia, a high pitched wailing started to emit from the infant's mouth.

"Congratulations, guys." Donatello said with a grin, "You've got a girl."

She looked just like Raphael had when he was a baby, but she had Amelia's eyes, five fingers instead of three, and five toes instead of two. The pattern of her shell was very similar to Raphael's too, and the large turtle could've sworn that apart from his wife, he'd never seen a sight as beautiful in his life. He was struggling to hold it together, because he'd never felt a love so strong in his life. This little girl left him utterly breathless because she was _his._ His _daughter_.

Donatello gently wrapped the baby in the towel as Amelia held onto her, unable to contain his smile when the young woman's face lit up with joy, tears of happiness falling from her eyes like raindrops from a cloud. Raphael pulled her into his side and cupped her head gently, kissing the top of it as a tear fell from his eyes as well. He couldn't believe he had a daughter. He was a father now, and that realisation seemed to give the world a whole new meaning to him. The feeling was indescribable.

"Dude, are you crying?" Michelangelo asked, watching his big brother with wide-eyes.

"Shut up, Mikey." Raphael said half heartedly, looking down at the baby girl in his wife's arms.

Amelia was gazing down at the beautiful baby in her arms, who was now quiet, yet busy blinking up curiously at all the strange faces around her. Donatello knew he had to measure the baby and weigh her, but he wanted Raphael and Amelia to have some time bonding with her before he took her from them to clean her up. Amelia beamed down at her little girl, and as their eyes met, Amelia was sure she felt her heart swell in her chest.

"Hi, Daisy..." Amelia whispered, stroking her daughter's cheek tenderly, "I'm your Mama. Yes, I am..."

Raphael closed his eyes as he placed an arm around Amelia to pull her closer, breathing in the scent of his wife's honey-blonde hair before gazing back down at his child, wiping at his eyes. Splinter gently leaned across to look at the baby, with tears of his own escaping onto his face. He was so proud of Donatello for working such a miracle, and he was also proud of how far Raphael had come over the past couple of years. Not only was his second eldest son a husband, but also a father. Splinter never believed he'd see any of his sons married, never mind becoming fathers.

"She's beautiful." He said lovingly, smiling down as the baby turned her gaze to him, "Welcome to the world, little one."

"I wanna see! I wanna see!"

Michelangelo was clearly growing more and more impatient, so Donatello and Splinter moved away in order for him, and Leonardo to look at their niece, who was simply mesmerised by what she was seeing. Leonardo smiled warmly when he saw her, realising that indeed, she was very like Raphael to look at, but it was undeniable that she had Amelia's eyes. She was so beautiful, and the eldest turtle made a promise to himself there and then, that he would never, _ever_ allow anyone to hurt this precious little girl.

"Oh, she's so cute!" Michelangelo breathed, leaning in closer to look at her properly, "Can I hold her?"

"In a little while." Amelia promised him with a tearful smile, before handing the baby across to Donatello carefully.

"I have to clean her up first." Donatello said quietly, "Then it's Raph's turn to hold her."

Amelia saw that Raphael's face paled when Donatello suggested that he hold the baby, and as she wiped her eyes, she leaned up to hug him, cupping his face and drawing him in for a loving kiss. Breaking their kiss, she smiled at him sweetly, sensing how apprehensive he was about holding their little girl. Daisy was so tiny that Raphael was terrified of hurting her. His hands were going to dwarf her, and he didn't feel comfortable with holding her in the crook of his bulging arms at all.

"You'll be fine." Amelia whispered to him tenderly, "I'll guide you through it, okay?"

Raphael nodded and pulled her back in for another hug, listening to his younger brother talking to Daisy soothingly as he weighed and measured her. The two brothers shared a look and Raphael thanked him with a nod, before pressing a kiss to his wife's hair gently, letting out a long, deep sigh.

Outside the lab, Leonardo called April to let her know that the baby had been born, and the reporter promised to quickly come over with the gifts that the turtles and Splinter had picked for the baby, as well as Amelia and Raphael. Leonardo knew that April would be getting Vern to give her a lift, since she'd want to see Daisy as soon as possible.

Once Daisy was cleaned up and in her first diaper, which fit her surprisingly well, she was passed back to Amelia, who took her out into the living area carefully with a very anxious Raphael in tow. He was about to hold his daughter for the first time, and Raphael realised that this was the moment that his life was about to change. Trying to calm his nerves, Raphael looked to his wife, who kept their baby wrapped in the soft towel as she adjusted her in her arms, and took in deep breath through his nose as a rather nervous sounding thought went through his head.

" _Here we go..."_

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **A/N (Please read!):** So, I'd like to thank _**The Silvernote**_ for all the help that she's given me with the arrival of Daisy, including choosing her name and gender. We talked for a long time through PMs about how I could bring a baby into this logically, and she's been awesome, so I'd like to thank her personally for all her help and patience. I wanted to honour one of Amelia's grandparents with naming the child because of how close she was to them, and we pretty much discussed the baby side of things from the moment I started work on this sequel. I had to add this little thank you at the end of the chapter, so as not to spoil the chapter everyone reading it. Thanks for your continued support, everyone! It means the world to me!

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	13. First Meetings

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hello faithful readers, reviewers, favouriters and followers! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter with the arrival of little Daisy Mae, who I have been so excited to write about for a long, long time. If you follow me on DA, keep your eyes open because as I do more and more pictures, she will pop up in them eventually.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** I thought you'd be pleased with her being a girl! That plan was always in place but I didn't want to reveal that too early on. Thanks again for the review!

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks, hun! I couldn't do half of this without you! And I'm just as excited as you that finally Daisy has arrived with us! Enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Thirteen: First Meetings }**

Raphael sat in one of the living area arm chairs and Amelia carefully lowered their baby into his arms for the first time, while his heart thundered in his chest at the thought of being responsible for someone so small and helpless.

Within a few moments, his life had changed forever, as had Amelia's, and even though it was wonderful, it was scary as hell. He didn't know if he was actually capable of being a good father or not, and now, as the baby was placed in his arms, he realised how dependent this child was going to be on both him and his wife, and the thought made him _very_ light-headed. As his family came to join them, Raphael tried to adjust Daisy carefully in his arms without much success. She felt way too small to be in the crook of his arm like that.

"I don't like this..." He said quietly, "It doesn't feel safe."

"Okay." Amelia whispered, taking the baby from him slowly before then placing her carefully in his hands instead, with one supporting her head, and the other supporting her shell, "Is that better?"

"Yeah..." Raphael replied, gazing down at Daisy with wide-eyes as she started to cry, "Oh, God... What did I do?"

It was clearly so nerve-wracking for him, but Amelia knew that his anxiety was probably what had made Daisy cry. He looked absolutely horrified, but Amelia gently cupped the back of his head, and then rubbed his large bicep gently to try and soothe him.

"It's because she knows you're nervous. It's okay." Amelia said sweetly, pressing a loving kiss to his head, "You're doing just fine."

"What should I do?" Raphael asked her, trying to calm his nerves.

"Talk to her, honey."

Raphael glanced from the crying baby in his hands to Amelia, and then back again. He leaned back in the chair and brought the baby closer to him, settling her near his lap, still held in his large hands. She looked so small, and Raphael's first thought was that she was simply terrified of him. He wasn't exactly nice to look at. Not in his eyes anyway. She squeaked and cried, wriggling in his hands as fat tears rolled down her tiny cheeks.

"I don't know what to say." He admitted, biting his lip worriedly.

"Just say anything... Try and soothe her." Amelia said sweetly, "It's okay."

He looked so unsure, and Amelia felt her heart pang for him, because she understood how scary this must've been. She knew he'd never expected to meet someone, get married, and have a baby. He'd mentioned all this before to her when he first found out that they were expecting a baby. She continued to soothingly rub his bandanna clad head, smiling at him lovingly.

"Okay... Uh..." Raphael's eyes narrowed as he cast a glance at his brothers, who turned their gazes elsewhere, before he then turned back to his daughter, "Look, kiddo... I gotta tell you, I'm probably gonna be a poor excuse for a dad to begin with, but I'm gonna try and do my best by you, so you just need to bear with me. I'm pretty sure I'll get the hang of it, eventually..."

It seemed to be working, as the child in his hands seemed to be settling down at the sound of his voice. Amelia noticed how his shoulders sagged with relief, and then for the first time, Amelia saw the realisation hit him that the baby he was holding was actually _his_ daughter. His flesh and blood. His eyes seemed to glow with this new-found knowledge, as though a sense of purpose had been discovered by him, like he'd been searching for it for years.

"I can't believe you're actually my little girl... But, I want you to know that I love you. You're never gonna understand how much I love you." Raphael whispered, not noticing how his brothers had turned their gazes back to him again as he pulled Daisy closer to him, while she just blinked up at him with her big blue eyes, "You just gotta bear with me, okay? I'm gonna do my best by you. I'll always do my best, I promise... I don't mean to, but I do screw up sometimes... So I'm not gonna be perfect, but I'm gonna try so hard to be a good dad to you, I swear. It might be a little hard sometimes, that's all. You think you can handle that?"

Amelia watched tearfully as Daisy reached up and took her father's finger in both her tiny hands, before bringing it closer to her face to inspect it. She smiled down at Raphael and then leaned closer to kiss his head, before running the backs of her fingers gently over the baby's head. He looked stunned, barely able to believe that his voice had been enough to calm her down.

"Perfect." She said in a near-whisper, wiping her eyes, "See. It worked. She stopped crying."

The proud smile that broke onto Raphael's face meant the world to Amelia. His negativity in terms of his own ability was awful for Amelia to see, because she knew he was such a gifted, intelligent and talented person. She savoured the sight of him cradling their daughter so carefully, taking in that look of pure joy in his eyes as Daisy curiously examined his finger, before releasing it and snuggling down into her warm, soft towel.

"Okay, I think she ought to meet her grandpa properly." Raphael said, passing the baby across to Amelia, who took her into her arms with a beaming smile, "You ready, Dad?"

Splinter, who sat himself on the couch between Donatello and Michelangelo, eagerly nodded as Amelia carefully placed Daisy in his arms, moving back to sit on the arm of the chair beside Raphael. Splinter carefully held the child in his arms, allowing her a moment to get used to being with him since this was, no doubt, all rather scary, and very strange to her. She remained completely calm with him, not that anyone was really surprised by that.

"Hello, Daisy." He spoke very gently as he ran a finger across the baby's cheek, "What a beautiful baby you are..."

"She's gorgeous." Raphael breathed out, smiling as Amelia leaned into him, kissing his temple lovingly.

Splinter smiled as his son and daughter-in-law shared a loving kiss, before turning his gaze back to Daisy, who appeared to be trying to grasp at his whiskers. He chuckled quietly as she let out huffing breaths, her arms flailing wildly in her efforts. Splinter leaned a little closer and allowed her to touch his face, noticing that this seemed to soothe her.

Raphael and Amelia watched the exchange with big grins on their faces, leaning closer together in a loving embrace. Leonardo watched them with fascination. It was amazing how something like the birth, or in this case, hatching of a child could bring two people so close together. To think that over a year ago, their relationship was almost broken beyond repair... Looking at them now, Leonardo couldn't believe that they'd gotten to that point, considering how they obviously were still so in love with each other.

"Leonardo?" Splinter's voice brought the eldest turtle out of his thoughts, "It's your turn."

"Oh, uh... Okay..." He saw Raphael smirk out of the corner of his eye, but he tried to calm his nerves as his father brought his niece to him, "Um..."

"You may have to hold her like Raphael did." Splinter advised, watching his son hold his hands out, "Be sure to support her head."

Leonardo nodded, barely able to breathe as his niece was carefully placed in his hands. He brought Daisy closer to him as Raphael had done, looking into her lovely blue eyes. He felt overwhelmed very quickly as he held his brother's child, feeling his chest tighten with emotion as he gazed down at her. This beautiful little girl was his _niece_ , and he swore to whatever God was out there that he would do everything he could to keep her safe, and to love her.

"Hi, Daisy..." He said softly, offering the child a smile, only for her to start crying again, "Oh, no... No, sweetie, it's okay... Shhh..."

He gently stroked the side of her head with his thumb, trying not to panic as she started to scream even louder. It hurt, even though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else. He didn't know why she was crying like this, or what he'd done, but it hurt to know that she clearly didn't want to be near him. Biting his lip, he realised she needed to be with someone else, rather than him at the moment, even though he didn't want to let her go.

"Okay... Donnie, do you wanna take her?" He said above the loud crying, "She clearly doesn't like me right now."

Donatello got out of his seat and lifted Daisy up and out of his brother's hands, before carefully arranging her so that he was holding her as Leonardo and Raphael had done. Almost immediately, Daisy's crying stopped, confirming Leonardo's fears that she genuinely just didn't like him. Amelia saw the eldest turtles face fall, and she tried to offer him a reassuring smile, which apparently seemed to lift his spirits a little.

"What's all that screaming for, Daisy Mae? Huh?" Donatello asked the baby softly, bouncing lightly on the spot with her, "I think you're grouchy because you want some dinner..."

Daisy looked up at him, letting out soft huffs as she calmed down from her crying fit. Donatello smiled at her warmly, before carefully adjusting her in his hands so he could carefully wipe a tear from her cheek. She was such a beautiful baby, and all the hard work and toil he'd put in to getting her here was definitely worth it. He was so proud to be an uncle, it was immeasurable.

"There... Much better." He told her, looking up at the others, only to see them gaping at him in shock, "What? She's used to my voice. I talked to her all the time when she was in her egg."

"My turn!" Michelangelo called from his place on the sofa, practically unable to stop bouncing with excitement as Donatello went to pass Daisy to him.

After making sure that the youngest turtle was holding her properly and securely, Donatello went to his lab to start making up a bottle for the baby, while Amelia moved to sit by Michelangelo, who was looking down at Daisy with sparkling eyes. He was clearly quite emotional about holding her for the first time, and he'd been so excited throughout the time that Daisy was in her incubator, that it was hardly surprising that he'd be this happy to hold her for the first time.

"Oh, she's so pretty!" He breathed, biting his lip as he looked into her deep blue eyes, only for her to start crying again, "Don't cry, little dudette... It's okay!"

He was so heartbroken that his little niece was crying, and he carefully bounced her to try and quieten her down, but she just seemed to scream louder, despite his efforts. Michelangelo then started to panic, so Amelia put a gentle hand on his shell and started to rub it in a comforting manner, trying to calm him down as well. Daisy would only become more upset if he continued to panic like that.

"I bet she's just hungry." Amelia reassured him, "You can help me feed her if you like."

"Really?" The orange-clad turtle asked, eyes hopeful, "What can I do?"

"I'll hold her, and then help you with the bottle." Amelia suggested, "Then you can burp her if you like. How does that sound?"

Michelangelo grinned at her, continuing to try and calm his niece while waiting for Donatello to return with the bottle. Raphael watched with a proud smile as Amelia took the baby from Michelangelo and settled her down in her arms while Donatello handed his younger brother the bottle of formula. Speaking softly, Amelia wrapped her hand around Michelangelo's larger one, and gently guided him towards Daisy's mouth so that she could latch onto the bottle and feed. Raphael almost laughed. The look on his little brother's face was priceless as Daisy started to hungrily suckle on the bottle, making soft humming sounds as she did so.

"Wow, I guess she _was_ hungry." He breathed, "She's really going for it."

"See, she's much happier now." Amelia said, looking at Michelangelo with warm eyes, "Nothing to worry about."

"Hey, Raph?" Michelangelo began, earning a grunt in response from his older brother, "You're a lucky guy."

Raphael shared a brief look with his brothers before clearing his throat, getting out of his seat to go and be with his wife and child. He crouched beside Amelia as Splinter then took the armchair that he'd had just been sitting in, putting a strong arm around Amelia and Daisy.

"I know, Mikey." He replied, running a thumb over his little girl's head, "Believe me. I know."

After Daisy finished feeding, Amelia showed Michelangelo how to burp her. She'd done plenty of this kind of research to try and prepare herself for these kinds of tasks, and it seemed that Michelangelo was quite the natural at this kind of stuff. Daisy let out a soft burp, which caused Michelangelo to let out a low chuckle.

"Good one, dudette." He said, lifting her away from his shoulder before pressing a soft kiss to the baby's head, "Here, go to your mama..."

Amelia took her daughter back into her arms and this time brought her upwards, resting her against her chest. Raphael watched as his wife took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, kissing their daughter's head. She'd been so patient throughout Daisy's time in her egg, and Raphael knew that all Amelia had wanted to do was to hold her baby, which was probably why she was breathing in Daisy's scent and savouring the time she had to hold her. He reached up with a large hand and brushed it against her honey-blonde locks, earning a loving smile from her.

"Worth the wait, isn't she?" He asked, earning an eager nod from Amelia.

"Absolutely."

Leonardo got up to go and prepare some drinks for everyone, just as April and Vern walked into the lair with paper bags in their arms. Donatello and Michelangelo vacated the couch to the beanbag chairs, so that the two humans could sit on the couch to see the baby. Vern looked less than impressed about being there, and he busied himself with taking the bags from the reporter and placing them on the coffee table as April struggled to contain her excitement.

"Hey, guys." April greeted them, hugging and kissing everyone on the cheek before giddily hurrying to the couch to sit beside Amelia, "Oh, my god..."

April's eyes glittered with emotion as she looked at Daisy for the first time. She was the most gorgeous baby April had seen in a long time. Even though she was a turtle-human hybrid, she was pretty damn adorable, and April couldn't help but fall in love with her immediately. She wanted to hold her so desperately. Vern on the other hand, glanced at the baby, letting out what was clearly a forced smile. He wasn't being an ass. He just didn't know how he was supposed to react. He'd never really interacted with babies before.

"Oh, guys... Congratulations..." April breathed, "She's so beautiful!"

"Thank you." Amelia replied with a proud smile, looking down at her baby as Leonardo placed a tray of various drinks on the coffee table, "You wanna say hi to your Aunt April, Daisy?"

"Daisy?" Vern asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We named her after Amelia's grandma." Raphael replied, earning a nod of understanding from the cameraman as Amelia passed the baby to April, "She's been passed around a lot, to say she's only been in the world for about a half hour."

April let out a small gasp as Daisy was settled in her arms, and the reporter instantly went to hold the child's hand in her own. Everyone watched with smiles as April cradled Daisy in her arms, and the young woman was very quickly overcome with emotion as she held her surrogate niece close to her, smiling down at her lovingly.

"Hi, sweetie..." She said quietly, allowing the baby to hold onto her fingers in order to inspect them as she returned her gaze to Raphael and Amelia, "Guys, I can't..."

"I know." Amelia laughed, "I'm still in shock... I can't believe she's here."

April continued to gaze down at Daisy, who yawned and wriggled in her towel, blinking up at the human lazily. April smiled at her, realising that she was getting sleepy. Knowing that this would be a good time to let Vern hold her, the young woman handed the baby to the cameraman, who supported her head carefully as he half sat her on his knee, looking at her with very wide eyes.

"Wow... She looks just like you." He said to Raphael, bouncing her on his knee, "See. I'm good with kids."

Before he even finished the sentence, Daisy proceeded to vomit down her towel, and also on Vern's jeans. In the short silence that followed, everyone except Vern was either biting or pursing their lips to keep from laughing. Looking annoyed, Vern rolled his eyes and looked to Daisy, whose lip started to tremble as a soft whine escaped her throat. The poor little thing had just enjoyed her dinner, only to then lose it all over a stranger's lap.

"I think you'd better go back to your mom." He said with a sincere nod, handing the now crying child back to Amelia.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay..." Amelia said to Daisy, looking to her husband, "Can you hold her while I go get the wet wipes?"

Raphael took Daisy into his hands carefully and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before taking Amelia's place on the couch while his wife hurried up to their room to retrieve the wet wipes. He gently hushed the crying baby, allowing her to hold onto his large fingers with her own tiny ones.

"You know, they say that a baby throwing up on you is supposed to be a gift." Donatello said, going to his lab to get another towel, while trying not to laugh at Vern's expense.

"Yeah, right." Vern replied, sighing with relief as Amelia returned with a pack of wipes.

The young woman took a wipe out of the pack and then tossed the rest to Vern so that he could clean himself up. Speaking softly to their daughter, Amelia and Raphael soothed her as Amelia wiped her down, and then Raphael took the clean towel from Donnie before wrapping her in it, rubbing her down gently to dry where the wipes had been. The dirty towel was then balled up and placed near the coffee table for the time being.

"There." Amelia said softly, "All better?"

"Just about." Vern replied, earning glares from everyone, since Amelia clearly hadn't been talking to him, "Uh... Hey, O'Neil? How about we give Daisy her gifts?"

Amelia looked up from her place on the floor, gazing at her human friends with confusion. Gifts? What gifts? She didn't remember anyone mentioning anything about bringing gifts for Daisy. Her confusion only grew when she saw each of the brothers apart from Raphael. and Splinter moving to the bags on the coffee table, and each of them rifled through before they pulled various objects out of the brown paper sacks.

"Okay, I didn't know if she was going to be a girl or not, so I got a hat just in case she was a boy, but... I thought this was unbelievably adorable." Leonardo said, holding out a soft, elasticated headband with a big white flower on the front, and Amelia's lips curved into a big grin when she saw it, "She'll look lovely in it."

"Oh, Leo... Thank you." Amelia whispered, handing the band to Raphael, "Let's see how she looks."

Raphael carefully sat the headband around his daughter's head, positioning the flower to the right side of her forehead. Everyone, without exception, gave an ' _Awww!_ ' as Daisy rubbed at her eyes, settling down into her new, clean towel, looking ever so pretty in her lovely headband. Michelangelo then stepped forward and presented a small turtle plushie, which brought a big grin to Raphael's face.

"I thought she'd like a friend to cuddle up to at night." The youngest turtle said, holding the plushie out to the baby, "Here, little dudette... He's called Franklin. Do you like him?"

The baby made a soft huffing noise, looking at the plushie with tired eyes. She looked up at her father, who offered her a gentle, loving smile. Continuing to huff, the baby looked back at the plushie, before burrowing further into her towel. Clearly she was too tired to show any kind of interest, which wasn't surprising. She'd come into the world and been passed around to new person after new person. Who knew that someone's first day in the world could be so tiring.

"Don't worry, Mikey. He can go in her crib with her later." Raphael reassured him, taking the plushie and sitting it next to the baby, "She'll get used to him."

"Thanks, Mikey." Amelia said with a grin, patting the younger turtle's hand gently.

"I made her something she can use when she's a little bigger." Donatello said, stepping forward with a cloth bag in his hand before opening it to take out a wooden building block, "One side has a letter, another has a number, and then the other two vertical sides are coloured, so she can build towers with them as well as learning the alphabet."

Amelia and Raphael smiled brightly, as the human took the bag carefully to look at the pretty blocks inside. They were hand carved and hand painted, so Donatello had obviously taken a lot of time to make them, which meant the world to both new parents. They were sure that Daisy would have a great time with them when she was a little bit older, and they had no doubt that they'd last quite a long time.

"They're lovely, Donnie. Thank you." Amelia beamed, "That's so thoughtful."

"I thought she could use something to keep her entertained." Splinter's voice caught their attention next, and he produced a small white and yellow rattle, which had a loop at the bottom of the handle for the baby to hold on to.

"Wow... Thanks, Sensei." Raphael breathed, rearranging his hold on his daughter carefully as Splinter placed the rattle with the baby, "I wonder how many of us will get a smack in the face with this."

"Let us hope that she doesn't intentionally try to hit people with it, like you used to do with your toys." Splinter chuckled, earning a half-hearted glare from Raphael who then proceeded to let out a gruff laugh.

He looked up as April and Vern placed two packages on Amelia's lap, which the young woman wasted no time in opening up. One contained a selection of white and pink bibs, and the other contained two sets of pink and white bedding for her crib. Amelia wanted to cry. Everyone had been so thoughtful when they'd chosen gifts for Daisy, and Amelia could tell that her daughter was already so loved, even though she'd been in the world for less than an hour.

"You're all so amazing." The new mother whispered, trying not to cry with happiness, "Thank you."

In the brief silence that followed, Raphael reached under the sofa carefully and pulled out a paper bag of his own before handing it to Amelia. The young woman looked at him with confusion before taking out a wrapped parcel which was addressed to Daisy. It was undoubtedly Raphael's handwriting. She'd never known anyone with handwriting quite like his.

"What's this?" She asked him, earning a warm smile from her husband.

"Open it and find out." He replied, watching her open the parcel and pull out the red blanket that was inside, "I got it finished. It took a while, but now she's got something else to be wrapped in rather than a towel."

"Oh, honey... Thank you." Amelia breathed, leaning across and kissing him gently on the lips, "It's lovely."

Her deep blue eyes fell to the baby in Raphael's arms, who was now blinking sleepily as she snuggled into her towel. Amelia smiled lovingly at her and ran the backs of her fingers over Daisy's face, letting out a rather dreamy sigh. She felt so lucky. She had the little girl that she always wanted. She had a loving and doting husband, a wonderful family, and a comfortable home. It wasn't exactly her dream home, but it was more than enough for her.

"Here, take her. I'm gonna get her bassinet from the bedroom." Raphael said quietly, gently passing their daughter to her mother's waiting arms before turning to April and Vern, "Are you guys staying for dinner?"

"Oh, we should probably go." April said quietly, "We'll let Daisy get settled in with you guys. I'll probably stop by in a couple of days to see you all, if that's okay."

"That's fine." Amelia said softly, holding her baby close to her chest, "Thanks for coming, and thanks so much for the gifts. We really appreciate them."

April hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, while Vern offered Raphael a congratulatory handshake, and then the reporter stopped to say a prolonged and rather emotional goodbye to Daisy, who was now sleeping in her mother's arms. Amelia looked down at her little girl, and a warmth filled her heart that she'd never felt before. This beautiful baby needed her so much, and she was determined to make sure she did _everything_ in her power to be the best mother she could be.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	14. The Joys of Parenthood

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hellooooo! Fourteen chapters in! Where has the time gone? I know I've been uploading once a day, but time seems to be flying! For anyone who happens to be interested in the art that I've done for this fic, I've actually just completed a picture of Amelia which on my Deviantart page. My username is the same as my pen name on FanFiction, and I now have a separate TMNT folder in my gallery for my art work, so you can find her in there. Thanks for the continued support with this fic, guys! And don't forget to vote for who you want to read about next! Also, I don't want you to think that this fic will be the last you'll hear of Amelia and Raph. I have plans to do a one-shot series as I write the other fics, so it'll be one of those projects that I just update when I have a new one-shot written.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** I'm glad you're excited :D Thank you for the review! She's going to be bald because she is mostly made of Raph's DNA, but in the one-shots that I've mentioned above, I'm gonna have Amelia make pretty headscarves for her to wear so that her head is kept warm in winter etc. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again for the continued reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** Whoa, dude, I don't wanna kill you! And I was quite mean to Vern by making her puke on him, but he will insist on bouncing her around when she's just had her dinner :P Thanks for the review hun!

Happy reading!

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 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Fourteen: The Joys of Parenthood }**

Amelia and Raphael had taken to parenting surprisingly well.

Even though Raphael had been absent from patrols for a month, Amelia had taken it upon herself to get up during the night when Daisy awoke, because she would be left to do this anyway, once Raphael went back out on patrols with his brothers. Amelia became Daisy's primary caregiver, and Raphael tried to help her where possible. Unfortunately, his wife was stubborn, and was taking on almost all of the responsibility herself, which of course, was making her incredibly tired.

So, just three months after the birth of their daughter, Amelia was exhausted to the point where she could barely move herself. She pressed on, though, determined to prove that she could be a good mother to her child, regardless of how tired she felt. Raphael knew why she was pushing herself so hard. Her own mother had been a pathetic excuse for a parent, and Amelia didn't want to be anything remotely like her. She wanted to give their daughter the childhood that _she'd_ always wanted, and at times, even though it was hard to see her so tired and run down, Raphael just couldn't bring himself to tell her that what she was doing to herself was unhealthy. He knew how hurt she'd be if he did,

On this particular Sunday, as Daisy was screaming the lair down, Amelia sat on the couch almost in tears, trying to soothe her child. Her lunch sat on the coffee table, untouched, while she battled with her baby, who was screaming like her world was ending. She'd been fed, changed, she wasn't tired... She was just mad at the world, and Amelia was taking the brunt of it. Everyone else was watching her struggle, in two minds about whether to intervene or not. Even Splinter appeared conflicted, as he didn't want to upset his daughter-in-law any more than she was already.

Raphael couldn't watch any more, and as Amelia rested her elbow on the arm of the couch and put her head in her hand in utter defeat and despair, he knew that he had to do something before his wife had a nervous breakdown. He had no doubt that Amelia's stress was affecting the baby, and he did feel quite sorry for her, so, trying to be helpful, he walked across to her from the dining table where he and his brothers were sitting.

"Give her to me..." He said quietly, "You're stressed to high hell, and it's not helping."

He took Daisy out of Amelia's arms and started to walk around with her against his shoulder, rubbing her shell and lightly bouncing her to try and soothe her. He didn't hear Amelia get up and slowly start to walk towards her office, with her hands over her mouth trying not to just burst into tears. Amelia could barely believe that he'd done something like that to her; that he'd just walk up to her and take their baby from her in such a harsh way. Raphael continued to bounce the baby in his arms, oblivious to the emotional damage he'd just inflicted on the young woman.

"Raph."

He looked up into the _very_ annoyed eyes of Donatello, who turned the red-clad turtle's attention to his now devastated wife as she hurriedly shut herself away in her office. Then, he realised how it must've come across when he basically berated her and took their baby from her. He hadn't meant to sound so damn harsh. All he'd wanted to do was to ease the burden and help her out, but clearly all he'd done was make things worse. Panic raced through him at the thought of how upset he'd probably just made her, and he quickly found himself face to face with his very angry younger brother, who took the screaming child from his arms before nodding harshly in the direction of Amelia's office.

"You're an idiot." Donatello growled, settling Daisy in his arms, "Go fix it."

With regret in his eyes, Raphael rushed in the direction of the office, calling out to his wife as Donatello returned to the kitchen table, rubbing his niece's shell soothingly while he held her to his chest. Leonardo glanced up at Donatello with a rather concerned expression, blinking in surprise as the baby seemed to suddenly calm in his younger brother's embrace. He couldn't believe that Donatello would be so openly aggressive and agitated, particularly with Raphael.

"What's with you?" The oldest turtle asked, taking a drink of his tea.

"You don't go to the clearly exhausted, incredibly distressed mother of your child, and then proceed to basically tell her she's doing a terrible job." Donatello answered, pressing a soft kiss to Daisy's head, "Raph's been very lucky with this parenting thing. He gets all the nice stuff, like he got to see Daisy's first smile, he gets to play with her, and read books to her, while Amelia's stuck changing her diapers, feeding her and getting up at all hours with her."

"So, what are you saying?" Leonardo asked again, confused, "Are you saying Raph's a bad dad?"

"No, not at all. I'm saying that he needs to seriously start thinking before he opens his mouth." Donatello answered, settling Daisy in his arms, "She's stressed to high hell because she spends her days dealing with mess and screaming fits. He just took Daisy away from her like she wasn't doing a good enough job. Can you imagine how _bad_ that must've made her feel?"

"Do you think maybe we should take care of Daisy for a while? Like to give her a break?" Michelangelo suggested, staring in awe at the now almost silent child, "Dude, how do you _do_ that?"

Donatello shrugged, rocking Daisy gently in his arms. She always seemed to calm much quicker when she was with him or Splinter, rather than the others. She loved Michelangelo, who seemed to get more smiles from her than anyone else, and for some reason, she'd taken quite a dislike to Leonardo, and often looked at him with a very grumpy expression if he so much as spoke to her.

"We could give them both a break. They need some time together." The lankier turtle said quietly, "Even if it's just a day or two."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, my son." Splinter said in a gentle voice, holding his arms out, "May I?"

Donatello passed the child to her grandfather, who sat her on his knee and bounced her gently as she huffed softly to herself, rubbing at her tearful eyes. Their gazes moved towards the office, where Raphael had entered just a few moments before.

Inside, Raphael was sat on the floor behind Amelia's desk, holding his distraught wife in his arms as she sobbed her heart out into his chest. He'd walked into the office to find her collapsed in a heap, both through distress and exhaustion, so he'd instantly scooped her into his lap to cradle her and hold her for a while in what felt like a futile attempt to soothe her. She was so convinced that she was the worst mother imaginable, and that Daisy didn't like her, or love her. He apologised over and over into her hair, trying to calm her down by rubbing her back soothingly. He couldn't believe he'd done something so insensitive and stupid.

"Listen to me... You're doing an absolutely fantastic job, okay? I didn't mean to make you feel like that, I swear. I just couldn't bear to watch you struggling any more." He said quietly, trying to get her to look at him, "Every parent struggles. It doesn't mean you're doing a bad job. I just think that you really need to take a break and stop pressuring yourself like this. You really are an awesome mom and Daisy loves you to pieces. I just don't want you to get sick again, darlin'... That's all."

Amelia sniffled and took some deep breaths to try and calm down, while Raphael continued to rub her back. He wanted to take her upstairs, get her settled in bed, and let her have a few hours of rest, while he took care of Daisy. It had occurred to him while they'd been sat on the floor, that the only real interaction that Amelia had been having with their child these days was either changing her diaper, feeding her, dealing with a screaming fit, or holding her while she slept. Amelia never really played with her or read to her, and it must've been getting her down so much.

"I'm gonna take you upstairs, and you're gonna sleep for a few hours. I'll take care of Daisy." He said softly, "I'm not gonna go out on patrol tonight, okay? We'll spend the evening in our room with her when you've had some rest."

"You can't miss patrol 'cause of me." Amelia said with a hiccup.

"The hell I can't." Raphael replied, cupping her head tenderly, "You and Daisy are my top priority. So, suck it up, 'cause I'm staying at home with you two tonight. 'Kay?"

"Okay." Amelia whispered, relaxing against him, "I'm sorry."

"Don't you _dare_ apologise for _anything_." He told her, kissing the top of her head lovingly, "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have done something so monumentally fucking stupid, darlin'. I'm sorry. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Amelia breathed, wiping at her eyes with her hands, "I'm just... I'm _fucked_."

Raphael chuckled and pressed a kiss to her head again, letting out a deep sigh as he nodded in agreement with her.

"I know." He said with a smile, "Come on... You're going to bed for a few hours."

He stood with her still in his arms, before carefully setting her on her feet. She took a moment to wipe her eyes and regain her composure, trying to calm herself enough to go and see her daughter. She wanted to at least have a kiss and a cuddle with her before she went to bed and left her in her father's care.

Raphael followed her out of the office slowly, where he was met with the sight of three very concerned looking turtles and his equally worried looking father. Daisy lay peacefully in Splinter's arms, just hiccuping and huffing to herself as she examined one of her grandfather's paws. Leonardo was the first to get up and walk over to Amelia, wrapping her up in a loving, protective hug.

"You okay?" He asked her quietly, earning a soft nod, "Are you going to bed?"

He earned another nod, and he looked up at his younger brother briefly with worried eyes before pressing a kiss to the top of Amelia's head. No-one liked to see her looking so tired or upset, and her well-being was all any of the boys cared about. When he let her go, the young woman wasted no time in going over to Splinter, who instinctively knew she wanted to hold her baby. Amelia offered Daisy a loving smile and took her into her arms, content to just hold her for a moment before pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of her baby's head.

"I love you, angel..." She said gently, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Daisy was then passed back to her grandfather, who gave Amelia's hand a reassuring squeeze before the younger turtles then moved to give her a comforting hug of their own. Donatello explained that they were going to care for Daisy throughout the daytime over the next couple of days to give Amelia and Raphael some time together, where both of them could catch up on some rest. Amelia almost refused but Raphael didn't let her. He was grateful that she was going to get some time to catch up on some sleep, and maybe a little time on their own would make her feel better.

Raphael then led his wife upstairs, and got her settled into bed, where she fell asleep almost immediately due to being so worn out. He headed straight back downstairs to join his family, to find Donatello cleaning up the lunch that Amelia didn't get to eat. Daisy was sitting on Michelangelo's lap on the couch, her turtle plushie clutched in her tiny hands.

"I'm staying home tonight." The hulking turtle said, looking across at Leonardo who was washing the dishes, "I want Amelia to get some time with Daisy that doesn't involve dirty diapers or screaming fits. So, I'm gonna take that side of things tonight, while she gets some quality time with the baby."

"That's fine." Leonardo replied, drying his hands on a towel, "She needs you here."

"Raph!" Michelangelo called from the couch in a whining tone, "Daisy smells again..."

"Again?" Raphael asked, frowning at his brother, "This is the seventh diaper she's gone through today!"

"Most babies between one and five months of age go through eight to ten diapers a day." Donatello said as he handed Raphael a new pack of diapers, "Enjoy!"

"Gee, thanks, bro." Raphael said with an eye roll, before trudging towards Michelangelo who was now holding a rather unhappy Daisy at arms length.

She started to whine as though she was going to cry, so Raphael put the diapers down and took her from her uncle, wincing immediately as he smelt what his brother was talking about. Amelia had done most of the diaper changing, and realising that this was what she'd had to deal with for the past three months, pretty much on her own, Raphael suddenly felt _very_ guilty. He'd only changed a handful of diapers since Daisy had been born, so if this was mostly what Amelia was getting exposed to in terms of interaction with their child, it was no wonder that she felt like her emotional connection to Daisy was dwindling.

"Good God, kiddo..." He said under his breath, "Uncle Mikey wasn't kidding, was he?"

"Bad, right?" Michelangelo said, covering his nose and mouth with his hands.

"Hey, make yourself useful and pass me her changing mat. It's in a box under the couch." Raphael said with a scowl, "There's a pack of wipes under there that I'm gonna need, too."

"This is so bad..." Michelangelo whined, getting the supplies out from under the couch, as instructed, "There."

"Thanks." Raphael grunted, "If it's that bad, go somewhere else."

Michelangelo practically sprinted away from the couch, while Donatello approached with a bottle of water for Raphael, placing it on the floor beside him before bringing the diaper genie over to the coffee table, where Daisy was now laid on her back on the mat, waving her arms about frantically.

"Look, honey, you gotta hold still." Raphael told her gently, taking a deep breath, "How your mother does this repeatedly, every day, I have no idea..."

"Be grateful." Donatello commented, getting a clean diaper out of the pack for Raphael, "Amelia had to deal with a diaper explosion this morning while we were in training."

"Oh, God, really?" Raphael asked, opening up the diaper around his daughter's waist, only to instantly recoil at both the mess and the smell before he quickly started to clean her up.

"Yep. It was all up her back, down her legs... Everywhere." Donatello said, shaking his head.

"I haven't been has hands-on with this stuff as I should've been... Have I?" Raphael asked after a moment of silence, wasting no time in getting his daughter clean and into the fresh diaper that Donnie had put on the mat for him,"You had every right to call me an idiot. I can't believe I've been letting her deal with this stuff on her own."

"To be fair, Raph, Amelia's been very stubborn about it all." Donatello replied, sighing sadly as he watched Raphael expertly fasten up Daisy's clean diaper, "But, yeah... A little extra help with this side of things would've probably made things easier for her. And, I shouldn't have called you an idiot. I'm sorry."

"Nah, I'm the one that's sorry." Raphael muttered, putting the dirty diaper in the genie, "I couldn't have done anything more insensitive than what I did to her earlier. It was the last thing she needed."

As Daisy let out a loud squeak, Raphael and Donatello turned their gazes to her, both of them smiling down at her. She offered them a big, gummy grin in return and Raphael couldn't help but laugh when he saw that beautiful smile gracing her tiny face. This tiny little person had brought so much happiness and joy into the lives of each member of their weird and wonderful family, and as Raphael had started to reflect on his own childhood, he'd started to realised why Splinter had been so overly protective of them. The love that a father had for his child was something that Raphael never thought he'd experience, but he'd do anything and everything to keep this sweet little girl safe from any kind of harm. All those fights he'd had with his dad growing up, giving him a hard time for just trying to protect them... Thinking of them made Raphael feel ashamed. He beamed down at his little girl as she continued to squeak and give him and her uncle that huge, gummy smile, leaning down to quickly kiss her forehead.

"Yeah. Daddy knows he's an idiot." He chuckled, lifting her off the changing mat, "Okay, be good for Uncle Donnie while I clean up."

"She's always good for me." Donatello replied, taking Daisy from his older brother, only for her to try and take his glasses, "Whoa... Sweetheart, what is it with you and my glasses?"

Daisy still struggled to reach for them, so to save himself getting poked in the face by her flailing hands, Donatello took off his glasses and held them out to her as he sat her on his lap, while Raphael packed her changing things away and went to wash his hands. He couldn't see much but at least Daisy was now happy and still, rather than trying to pull the glasses off his face.

"No, no, honey... Don't put those in your mouth." He said softly, pulling the glasses away as Daisy tried to nibble on them with her gums, "That's not gonna taste very nice for you."

He put the glasses back on his face and looked down at his niece, not realising his big brother was watching fondly from where he was putting the changing mat away. He then pulled a silly face at the baby in his arms, who beamed at him, watching him with wide eyes as he did the same again. Raphael knew that Daisy was probably going to be very close to his younger brother when she got older, considering they had a very special bond even though she was only very young herself.

"Okay, it's time to go back to your daddy, because Uncle Donnie's gotta make you some more formula." Donatello said softly, giving her a kiss on the head before handing her back to her father.

Raphael thanked Donatello with a smile as the younger brother got to his feet, and then he settled himself on the couch with his daughter held in one arm, before he handed her the plushie that Michelangelo had given to her when she was born. Splinter came and sat in the arm chair, while Leonardo joined his younger brother on the couch, and Michelangelo took his seat in his beanbag chair to play an hour or two of video games.

"Hey, Daisy!" Leonardo tried to sound enthusiastic, but all he was met with was a stony glare, and then a rather adorable pout from the baby, who turned her head away and hid it in her father's plastron, "What have I done to this child? She literally won't look at me."

"Dude, don't worry about it..." Raphael muttered with a smirk, stroking the back of Daisy's head gently, "She'll come around. It's probably because you're so tense and stern all the time."

He shifted Daisy so that she was sitting on his lap, and he kept on hand around her shell to keep her supported, before he passed her the plushie, Franklin, which she hugged, all while still shooting glares at Leonardo. He couldn't help it. She was so affronted by the sight of her oldest uncle that Raphael had to laugh. Even Leonardo let out a small laugh, even though he was deeply upset by the fact that he just couldn't seem to bond with his own niece.

"Hey, that's not nice, sweetheart." Raphael said gruffly, picking up the rattle that was half stuffed between the sofa cushions and waving it at her, only for her face to relax as soon as she was fixated on something else, "She'll learn to love you eventually, Leo."

"I hope so." Leonardo replied, looking up as Michelangelo let out a loud celebratory shout at the TV, "Mikey! Amelia's sleeping upstairs."

"Sorry..." Michelangelo said sheepishly, continuing to play his video game quietly.

Leonardo looked at Daisy once last time with a rather heavy heart, before he got out of his seat, moving to go back towards the kitchen to make himself and his father some more tea.

* * *

Walking slowly from the bathroom to the bedroom after a nice, hot shower, Raphael paused outside the door as he heard the sound of Amelia quietly singing inside their room. He smiled lovingly as he heard the song she was singing, which for whatever reason, seemed to calm Daisy down no end. _Since I Don't Have You_ by Guns 'N' Roses was one of the only songs that seemed to just make Daisy stop whatever she was doing, whether it was playing, crying or feeding, and she would just listen to it. Maybe it was the lovely guitar solos or the soothing rhythm that did it.

He carefully pushed the door open to find Amelia wrapped in her huge blanket with Daisy tucked up in her arms, and Amelia was holding Daisy's hand as she gently sang and rocked her to sleep. He quietly closed the door and joined his family on the large bed, wrapping an arm around Amelia as he looked down at their daughter, smiling softly at her before resting his head against his wife's.

He was so damn lucky. He woke up every morning, thanking whatever God was out there for his beautiful wife, and beautiful baby. To think that four years earlier, he had no idea that this woman even existed, yet here she was, in _their_ bed, holding _their_ baby. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, placing his hand over his wife's, which was holding their daughter's. His life had changed dramatically in four years, and it was so remarkable to him that so much could happen in such a short period of time.

"Hey, you." Amelia whispered, leaning against him as he breathed her in again, "She's asleep."

"You have a beautiful voice." He told her, kissing her temple.

"Thank you." Amelia replied, gently stroking Daisy's hand with her thumb, "Look how peaceful she is."

Raphael smiled and kissed Amelia again, feeling her relax against him as they watched their little girl sleeping in her arms. Letting Amelia's hand go, he then settled his large one on her abdomen, swallowing down the sudden lump that rose in his throat before pulling both Amelia and Daisy closer to him. He and Amelia never spoke about the fact that she didn't have an actual pregnancy with Daisy. She wanted to experience a pregnancy so much, and Raphael had wanted to experience it with her, but the fact that it wasn't really a possibility, since their DNA just couldn't combine naturally, had been difficult to come to terms with. He tried not imagine how it would've been to feel a bump, or to feel his child kicking, because it made him sad that he and Amelia had missed out on all that stuff.

"Have you enjoyed tonight?" He asked her quietly, "You know, just having this time with her?"

"And with you." Amelia added, turning her head to look at him, "Yes. I've loved it. It was nice... Just the three of us together."

"You don't feel too crowded here, do you? With my dad and the others...?" Raphael asked, suddenly concerned by her words, "'Cause if you do..."

"Oh, honey..." Amelia's expression turned to one of horror as her free hand flew to her mouth, "No... God, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant... I love being here with your father and brothers, I just meant that it was nice for three of us to have some bonding time as mother, father and daughter."

Raphael nodded and smiled at her warmly, before reaching down to gently run his hand over Daisy's head, his smile widening as she leaned into the touch in her sleep and let out a soft hum. She was just so gorgeous. Raphael still could barely believe that she was his.

"I wouldn't ever take you or Daisy from your family, Raph. You know that, right?" Amelia said softy, worry slipping onto her face as she looked back to Daisy, who was still sleeping soundly, "I mean, your brothers adore her, and she adores them... Except Leo, but I'm sure that'll come in time. And your dad... I wouldn't dream of separating him and Daisy. He loves her so much."

"Yeah... Poor Leo, huh?" Raphael muttered, "Did I tell you that she wouldn't even look at him today? And when she did, she did nothing but _glare_ at him. Like, really nasty glaring, too."

"Oh, God, really?" Amelia asked, her eyes wide as she looked at her husband, "I hope Leo isn't taking it too hard... Some babies can have a strong dislike of people when they're very young, but when they're older, they become really close to that person. Maybe that'll happen for Leo."

"I hope so." Raphael sighed, kissing his wife's head, "Okay... It's getting late. We should put her to bed."

"Do you want a cuddle with her before she goes in her crib?" Amelia asked.

Raphael gave her a warm smile and a nod before taking his little girl into his arms for one last cuddle before putting her to bed for the night.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	15. Babysitting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs. I also don't own the lyrics used in this chapter either.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! So, I can tell you that we are starting to approach the end of the fic now, but as I mentioned in the last chapter, there will be a one-shot series emerging, probably as I start to publish the next fic. It'll probably be updated at a much slower rate as I have at least six more fics to do (two per remaining turtle), but I'll do my best to produce some awesome moments featuring Daisy as she grows up. Thanks for the support so far! You've all been wonderful!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks again for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Thanks for the review! I'm actually very girlie at heart, even if I don't always come across that way to people, so I'll do my best to make Daisy look as feminine as I can, even when I eventually get round to drawing her. And yes, poor Leo! It must be hard to have a niece you can't bond with. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks for the continued support, hun! I'm so pleased that you liked the little moment with Donnie's glasses. I know you were asking for it. Enjoy chapter fifteen!

Happy reading!

xxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Fifteen: Babysitting }**

As promised, Donatello, Leonardo and Michelangelo took it upon themselves to take care of baby Daisy, while Raphael and Amelia had some well earned time together to get some rest.

The following morning, when Daisy awoke, Raphael and Amelia got her changed and fed, they had breakfast with their family, and then they went back to their room, leaving Daisy in the capable hands of her uncles and grandfather. This was immediately proceeded by Daisy bursting into tears at the sight of her parents leaving her. Donatello, who had Daisy in one arm and a pile of textbooks in the other, instantly started hushing her as he eased the heavy books down onto the kitchen table. Separation wasn't something that Daisy coped well with, particularly when it came to her parents. If one of them left her sight suddenly, she would cry hysterically until they came back, but she was starting to recognise the signs of one of them preparing to leave her. She was used to Raphael leaving her due to his patrols, but she still got very upset when Amelia left her, whether she was with her dad or someone else.

"You're okay, sweetie..." He said softly, bringing her closer to his shoulder as his now free hand rested against her shell, "It's okay... You're gonna have a fun day with Uncle Donnie, Uncle Leo and Uncle Mikey, today."

Daisy slowly stopped crying and looked at Donatello with wide, tearful eyes, hiccuping and sniffling as he gently rubbed her shell to soothe her. He smiled at her softly and got a smile back, even if her lower lip was trembling and suddenly, she pressed herself against him and sniffled, burrowing into his shoulder. Oh, how he loved this little girl. She meant the absolute world to all of the family, but for some reason she was closer to him than the others. Maybe it was simply due to the fact that she knew his presence and his voice better than anyone else's, or maybe it was that his presence seemed to calm her. Either way, he was incredibly grateful that they had such a lovely bond.

He grinned and pressed a kiss to her head before joining his brothers in the living area, which had been cleared completely so that Daisy could have her big, comfortable play-mat spread across the floor. Donatello and Leonardo had spent a long time making it and putting it together for her, and now Michelangelo was arranging pillows and cushions around it so that the guys could sit comfortably with her and keep an eye on her as she played on it.

"Come on, little dudette!" The orange clad turtle called as Donatello sat down on the cushions, keeping Daisy held in his arms, "We're gonna have the best day today!"

Daisy gave Michelangelo a big, gummy grin before wiggling her fingers and stretching her arms towards him, as though wanting to be picked up by him. Michelangelo leaned forward with a big laugh and lifted her out of Donatello's arms, sitting her on his lap and handing her the turtle plushie which he'd retrieved from the kitchen table a few minutes earlier.

"You're getting so big, already..." He said in a gentle voice as she hugged her plushie, watching her worriedly as she looked up towards Raphael and Amelia's room, whimpering to herself, "Your mommy and daddy will be back later, I promise."

She looked up at him, and sniffled to herself as she started to cry again, causing her uncles' hearts to clench in their chest. They hated seeing her upset, especially when she cried as mournfully as she was crying now. Michelangelo lifted her up to sit her in the crook of his arm as Leonardo and Splinter joined them in the living area, and he pressed a soft kiss to her head, bouncing her gently to try and calm her down.

"What's up, Miss Daisy Mae?" Leonardo asked as he sat next to Michelangelo, only to earn a very loud scream and an angry glare from the baby as she then turned away from him.

"Daisy, no..." Michelangelo said softly, sitting her back on his right thigh, "That's not nice."

The baby looked up at him and then went back to nibbling her plushie, and whimpering to herself once again. Leonardo ran a hand over his face before he moved touch Daisy's shell. The baby stilled, and then as Leonardo gently rubbed her carapace, she seemed to settle. A smile came to the oldest turtle's face and he continued to rub her shell softly, in a comforting manner, and the baby allowed him to for a few moments before she turned to look at him once more, her expression now rather relaxed.

"See..." He spoke softly to her, "It's okay... Uncle Leo loves you..."

A soft cry that came from the baby's lips caused him to remove his hand, but Donatello and Michelangelo could see how happy he was to have at least had some contact with his niece where she wasn't glaring at him or screaming. As she sat nibbling on her plushie, still whimpering softly to herself, Michelangelo grabbed one of the spare pillows and placed it on his lap, sitting her atop it before lowering his face to hers, kissing her forehead gently.

"So... What have you planned to do with Daisy today?" Splinter asked, sipping the cup of tea he had in his hands as he eased himself onto the floor with his sons.

"We've got toys, I downloaded some kids' movies for her, and April gave us that little inflatable pool last week so she can play in the water if she wants." Donatello replied, opening his bottle of water, "I'm in charge of feeding and diapers, and Mikey's in charge of nap time."

"And I'm going to attempt to bond with her today." Leonardo said with a weary sigh.

Splinter sympathised greatly with his eldest son. It must've been awful for him to feel unable to bond with his niece, and it wasn't as if Leonardo had done anything to provoke such a reaction. Offering the blue-clad turtle a gentle smile, Splinter cleared his throat and looked across at Daisy, who was quite happy to sit on the pillow and be fussed by her youngest uncle.

"I wonder what Raphael and Amelia are going to do today."

"I can imagine." Michelangelo said with a lecherous grin, earning glares from his brothers and father.

"I think Raph mentioned something about watching movies and letting Amelia get some much needed sleep." Leonardo replied, "If they do anything else, _Mikey_ , that's none of our business."

"Bah!"

Everyone looked towards Daisy who was now holding her plushie one tiny, green, five-fingered hand, and waving it around with a big, proud smile on her face. She was so like Raphael to look at in terms of her facial expressions, especially when she was irritated or annoyed. But, looking at her in that moment as she smiled to herself, he felt a lump rise in his throat as he realised that he was basically looking at second eldest son as a baby again. It felt so wonderful to have a baby in the lair again. His sons were all so adorable as children, and he missed the days when they were so young and when they gave love so freely, without fear of ridicule from each other. He was now able to experience this all over again with Daisy, and it meant the world to him.

"You wanna go to your grandpa?" Michelangelo asked, causing the ageing rat to get a pillow of his own to rest the baby on, while Donatello took his tea to put it out of the way, "Ready? We're gonna fly to him, okay?"

"Bah!" Daisy seemed to reply, giggling loudly as Michelangelo lifted her up so she was horizontal, and then made sounds like an aeroplane as he swooped her around in the direction of Splinter.

As she started to belly laugh, it made her uncles and grandfather laugh with her as well, since it was a relief to hear her laughing rather than crying. She was placed in Splinter's arms, and the rat fondly nuzzled her with his nose, allowing her to hold onto his face and press an open mouthed, messy kiss to his cheek. Michelangelo lined up the first kid's movie, Leonardo got some snacks for him and his brothers, and Donatello went to go and finish making the rest of Daisy's formula for the day, while Splinter was content to simply sit and hold his granddaughter.

* * *

"Why does it feel like forever since we did this...?"

Amelia sighed deeply as she drew her husband's large hand to her lips and pressed a lingering kiss to it, nuzzling him where she lay on top of his plastron, with a pillow between them. His free hand gently brushed up and down her bare back, while he kept his other hand entwined with hers, their heads resting together.

"Because it pretty much _is_ forever since we did this." Amelia laughed softly, kissing Raphael's cheek gently, "We've been a little too busy to do this for the past few months, not to mention the fact that we've been exhausted, _and_ we're not exactly gonna do this with our daughter sleeping a few feet away, are we?"

"Of course not." Raphael muttered, "I just... I guess I've missed this... You... Us... I dunno..."

Amelia smiled and let out another deep sigh, squeezing his hand lovingly. The two of them were still so in love with each other, and part of their expression of that love was to make love, but now that they had a baby, it made things very difficult. However, Daisy's nursery, which was a newly cleared chamber next to Raphael and Amelia's, was almost ready for her to move into, and the couple were planning to trial her first night on her own in there within the next couple of weeks. Then, they could share this kind of intimacy more regularly without the risk of it being witnessed by their child.

"Don't do that." Amelia scolded him half-heartedly, referring to how he'd haphazardly tried to avoid being honest with her, "Tell me what you're feeling."

"I miss you." Raphael answered after a rather pregnant pause, "I love you more than you're ever gonna know, and I never thought that I'd get to have what you've given me... When we're together like this, it gets like a drug sometimes... I just _need_ it. I need _you_."

Amelia lifted her head and looked at him, staring into his beautiful eyes as she cupped his cheek. He took a hold of her hand and looked right back at her through heavy-lidded eyes as he pressed his lips to the soft skin of the dainty limb.

"You know, the first time that we did this, I saw so much emotion in you." She told him in a soft voice, "I fell so damn hard... It was like something just went off in my head and I knew that you were the only person I would ever want to be with again. So, I know the feeling of being addicted, because I'm the same... We connected on such a deep, emotional level that first time that we became _bound_ , in a way. Or at least, I felt I was bound to you."

"I don't know what I did to make me worthy of a woman like you, but I thank my lucky stars every day that you're with me." He said gently, releasing her hand from his grasp before running the backs of his fingers gently against her honey-blonde hair, "And I do the same for Daisy. You guys are my whole world. I couldn't live without either of you."

Amelia beamed at him and inched closer to him, pressing her lips to his in a tender kiss, which he wasted no time in deepening. Smiling, the young woman settled back down against him, feeling him hold her tightly in his embrace as he suddenly rolled them over. Hearing her giggle, he removed the pillow from between them, and then turned Amelia onto her front, beginning to trace a line of kisses down her back as she instinctively lifted her hips to met his...

* * *

April found the living area of the lair to be empty when she arrived that afternoon. Various toys and pillows were strewn about the living area, and the only indication that anyone was even at home was the sound of Daisy crying, and that was coming from Donatello's lab. Much to April's astonishment, however, another, very unfamiliar sound hit her ears at the same time.

" _I don't have plans and schemes,  
And I don't have hopes and dreams.  
I, I, I don't have anything,  
Since I don't have you..." _

She stepped towards the lab almost silently, poking her head around the door to see none other than Donatello sitting in his office chair with Daisy in his arms, slowly lowering the bottle of formula to her mouth as she lay wrapped in one of the soft blankets that Amelia had bought for her a couple of weeks before.

" _And I don't have fond desires,  
And I don't have happy hours.  
I don't have anything,  
Since I don't have you..."_

April couldn't believe her eyes. Donatello was singing to Daisy as he fed her, which seemed to soothe her almost straight away. His singing voice was much nicer than April thought it would be, and as he finished singing to the baby, it was then that he looked up and saw her standing there with a rather dopey grin on her face. She just couldn't help it. The sight was unbelievably adorable, and to hear him singing so freely to her that way, when he was normally so shy and closed off sometimes, was so wonderful.

"Oh... Hi, April..." He instantly looked embarrassed as he turned his gaze back to the baby in his arms, who was gripping one of his fingers that was wrapped around the bottle of formula, "Sorry... She really likes that song."

"Don't apologise." April said softly, stepping into the lab, "You've got a nice voice."

Donatello smiled at her awkwardly before looking back to Daisy, offering her a much more confident, and a very loving smile. April hadn't seen Donatello caring for Daisy like this before, but something lurched in her chest as he saw how tenderly he was gazing down at his niece. It was a sight that she never thought she'd see, but it was something she felt she could get used to seeing.

"There..." He spoke so gently to the baby, shifting her in his arms so that she was a little more comfortable, "Is that better? Yeah...?"

Daisy seemed to squeeze his finger tighter as though in response, and he then looked back at April who was staring at him with a rather blank expression on her face. Heat flushed to his cheeks as he tried not feel self conscious about being scrutinised by the beautiful reporter, watching her slowly pull up a chair, which took her attention from him for just a moment.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, brushing her hair behind her ear as she sat down.

"Sensei's doing some meditation with Mikey and Leo, and Raph and Amelia are in their room. They're having a couple of days off to spend some time together. Amelia's exhausted and so is Raph." Donatello explained, "And I'm here, spending time with my niece."

"You're so good with her." April said, her smile returning to her face, "You'd make a fantastic dad."

The words left her mouth before she could stop them and she realised that Donatello might never have that opportunity. He appeared to be slightly stung by what she'd said as well, and he visibly flinched at the word ' _Dad_ '. She felt awful, especially when she saw the flicker of hurt cross his lovely grey-green eyes.

"Oh, God... Donnie, I'm sorry..." She said with a grimace, "I didn't mean..."

"Don't apologise, it's okay." He replied, offering her a small smile, "You know... It happened to Raph. It could happen to any one of us."

He turned back to Daisy, who had now finished feeding, and he put the bottle on a nearby workbench before he steadily brought his niece to his shoulder to burp her. Burping cloth at the ready, he rested her against his muscular chest, and started to rub and pat her shell gently.

"You never know. I might find a good woman someday, who'd be happy to have my babies."

As he spoke, he steadily lifted his gaze back to April's, feeling a pang of electricity rock through his chest as their eyes met. Daisy's rather loud burp brought the two out of their stunned silence, and as Donatello kissed the baby's head and brought her back from his shoulder, he wheeled his chair across to April's and carefully placed the baby in her arms.

The two looked at one another for a brief moment more, before a loud ' _Bah!_ ' from Daisy snapped them out of their thoughts, turning their attention to her once again.

* * *

That same night, with Raphael and his brothers on patrol, Amelia was laid in bed with her baby in her arms, feeding her what would hopefully be her last bottle of formula until the morning. In the background, _Sense and Sensibility_ played quietly, which Amelia wasn't really paying attention to. A gentle knock sounded at the door, and Amelia called for the visitor to come in. She had no doubt that it was Splinter, coming to kiss his grandchild goodnight. As she expected, Splinter entered the room quietly, and Amelia went to move out of bed, but he held up a hand so that she'd stay put.

"I'm just coming to bid you both goodnight." He said softly, moving towards the bed and sitting close to Amelia, before leaning across to look at his granddaughter as Amelia turned off the television, "She was an angel today. Not an ounce of trouble. Just like her father was at her age."

Amelia, surprisingly, could believe that. While Raphael had the bad boy nature, she had a feeling that he hadn't always been that way, since he had such a loving and kind side to him. She wished that there was some way that she could see Raphael when he was growing up. She had photographs of her childhood, but he didn't have those. He had the odd keepsake from his younger years that she'd looked at before, but she was sad that he didn't have any photos.

"What was he like as a child?" She asked, looking from Daisy to her father-in-law, "I'd love to know."

"He was always very good natured. Despite the fact that he liked to pick on Michelangelo and tease Donatello a lot of the time, if one of them was ill or hurt, he couldn't bear it." Splinter explained quietly as he took his granddaughter's hand in his own, "And even though he and Leonardo have always clashed, he always has been very protective over all of his brothers."

"I remember the night we met." Amelia said with a fond smile, "He didn't even know me... I could've been like most humans and judged him based upon the fact that he doesn't look human, and he protected me, despite that. A lot of humans would've walked away but your son risked his life to save mine. When I saw him for the first time, I felt this sense of peace wash over me."

Splinter smiled fondly and then he tenderly placed his free hand on her shoulder when how emotional she was becoming. The bond she and Raphael shared was like nothing he'd ever seen. They were so deeply bound to each other that he was sure that one would die without the other. They shared a love that was pretty much unbreakable. Even in the deepest depths of despair, they'd clung to their bond and it had come back, stronger than ever.

"It was like I'd seen an angel." Amelia whispered, placing the bottle on the bedside table as Daisy finished her food before bringing her up to burp her, "I knew he was special, and that I needed to get to know him. It's like we were meant for each other..."

"My son is very fortunate to have someone so accepting and so loving, Amelia." Splinter told her, releasing her shoulder, "Not only have you opened a door to a world I never believed he could experience, but you have brought joy to all of us in so many ways. If only you knew how much we all love you."

The sound of voices caught both the rat and the human's attention, signalling that the brothers had returned from their patrol. Splinter smiled at Amelia, who handed a wind-free Daisy to him so that he could have his goodnight kiss and cuddle with her. After a brief kiss and a nuzzle from him, he handed the baby back to her mother, and took his leave, as Raphael was making his way upstairs.

Amelia listened as the two shared a brief conversation, and then she was met by the sight of her husband walking into their bedroom with a big smile on his face. Daisy was sitting in Amelia's lap, chirping away as she saw her father approaching the bed.

"Hey, princess..." He said with a grin, reaching to take his daughter as she reached for him return, "Have you been good for your mama?"

"She has." Amelia said softly, watching Raphael hold the baby to his chest and breathe her in.

She looked at him worriedly as he sat next to her on the bed and then pulled her into his plastron with his free arm, holding both his wife and daughter to him tiredly. He sat silently with them, holding them close to him as he breathed both of them in this time, and Amelia gently brought up a dainty hand to cup the back of his bandanna-clad head, her eyes full of concern as she pulled back to look at him.

"Rough night, honey?" She asked with a frown, tenderly moving her hand to gently stroke his cheek, "Are you okay?"

"We saved a woman tonight from being raped by Purple Dragons." Raphael muttered, kissing his wife's head tenderly, "She had a young baby with her. I just couldn't stop thinking about you and Daisy, that's all."

"Oh, Raph... I'm sorry..." Amelia whispered, kissing his lips just as lovingly as he'd kissed her head, "Are they both alright?"

"She'd taken a bit of a beating trying to protect the kid." Raphael said with a shake of his head, "We made sure she got to a hospital though. We called the police and an ambulance, so... They should be okay."

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked again as they rested their heads together, cradling their daughter between them.

"Not really." He muttered, swallowing thickly, "I just need to be with you guys."

Amelia's heart lurched as she saw how distressed he was by the experience, and she cupped his head and continued to press loving kisses to his cheek and temple, as he softly nuzzled against her while keeping his arms around her and their daughter. Daisy hummed softly as she tried to lay back in her father's embrace, so Raphael slowly adjusted her so that she was laid in the crook of his arm, her blanket still wrapped around her.

"I love you both so much." He whispered, putting his arm back around Amelia in a tight embrace, "Seeing that mother trying to protect her baby while those Dragons were saying the most awful things to her... And seeing her take a beating while she was trying to soothe her kid... I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if you were ever in that situation. I wanna teach you how to protect yourself."

"Raph..." Amelia's heart sank, "Raph, we had this conversation almost four years ago. You know how I feel about learning to fight..."

"I know, but it'd only be basic self-defence. Nothing else." Raphael promised, "Just... For Daisy's sake, as well as your own... If anything happened here while my family and I weren't here, you'd at least be able to protect and escape with the baby. _Please_..."

God, it sounded so needy coming from him, and Amelia realised that she had a duty as a mother to know how to protect herself and her baby. She didn't want to decide right now, but she she promised her husband that she'd think on it, and that seemed to be enough to soothe him for the moment.

After a few more minutes in their close embrace, the two young parents put their daughter in her crib, and Amelia did her best to comfort Raphael for a while longer, before they finally fell asleep in one another's arms.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	16. Home Invasion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks so much for the support with this so far! Keep voting in the poll, because I'll be announcing the next fic in the final chapter of this story, and I'll also be announcing what order the others will come in afterwards, so... This poll decides my writing schedule for the next however many months. I will mention again that the summaries are available on the first chapter of this fic, so if you need a reminder as to what you're voting for, check the A/N at the bottom of the first chapter.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Thanks for the review! As for April and Donnie, I can't really give a definitive answer because... Well... Spoilers and all that. I may develop on that later, whether in this fic or the one-shot series. For now, you'll just have to wait and see :D As for Daisy's toddler years, there'll be plenty of moments in the one-shot series about her growing up, but I don't want to drag this fic out with it, if that makes sense. So, don't worry. This story isn't the last you'll be hearing of that cute little turtle.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** I'll do my best to keep it up, Stephanie! I hope you'll be reading the next fics as well ;)

 **felicia2235:** Ahh, now there's a good question. As I said above, I don't want to answer because I don't want to alert anyone to potential spoilers, but I may develop on that a little later, whether it's in this fic or the one-shot series. Maybe. I'll have to see. At least feel confident in the knowledge that Donnie will get his own OC in his own upcoming fic. Thanks for reviewing!

 **The Silvernote:** I'm glad you liked Donnie and Daisy's moment! As for Daisy's attempts at talking, I love it when babies go "BAH!", it's utterly adorable! Thanks for the constant support, hun! You're amazing!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Sixteen: Home Invasion }**

Amelia stared blankly at the empty space in the bedroom that she and Raphael had been sharing with their baby for the past few months.

Daisy was moving into her own bedroom that night. Everything of hers was now in the nursery, and Amelia couldn't help but feel choked up about how empty her bedroom was. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her baby's head, who was currently sitting in her lap, nibbling on her plushie. Amelia had washed the toy a multitude of times, but it never seemed to fully recover from Daisy's nibbling, and right now, the tiny turtle was focusing on the cuddly toy's beak, and she made little ' _Om nom_ ' sounds as she absently chomped on it with her gums.

"We'd better go downstairs." Amelia said quietly, breathing in her baby's scent, "Your daddy will be done with training any minute."

Daisy seemed to babble in agreement, so Amelia picked her baby up and rested her against her shoulder, and headed for the kitchen, trying to quell the utter _aching_ in her heart at the thought of her baby having to sleep alone that night. As though sensing her mother's distress, Daisy let out a whine and buried closer to Amelia, who tried to calm herself and kissed the child on the head once more.

Just as they got settled at the table with a bottle of formula, the door to the dojo opened, and the turtles and Splinter all stepped out, talking excitedly amongst themselves about their training session. At the sight of her father and uncles, Daisy let out a shriek of joy, and she was soon approached by Leonardo, who knelt down in front of Amelia and pressed a kiss to Daisy's head. The baby turned her head away, but she accepted the kiss without much complaint, nonetheless.

After Leonardo had greeted both Daisy and Amelia, Michelangelo came and kissed the baby's cheek, and then Amelia's. When Donatello arrived, Daisy was so excited to see him that he couldn't help but pick her up for a cuddle, blowing raspberries on her cheeks, which made her squeal with joy. He then passed his niece to Splinter, kissed Amelia's head, and then moved to take a seat at the table.

Splinter gave his granddaughter a loving hug and a kiss before handing her to her father, who had finally gotten over his fear of being silly with his daughter in front of his family. Hoisting Daisy into the air, Raphael blew raspberries on her plastron before planting a big kiss on the laughing baby's flushed cheeks. He then passed her back to her mother, and then leaned down to his wife and tenderly kissed her on the lips, taking a seat beside her.

Amelia then began to feed Daisy, who happily drank from her bottle while holding onto her mother's fingers. Raphael could see the sadness in Amelia's eyes as she cradled their daughter, and it weighed heavily on his heart. He knew Amelia didn't feel ready to be separated from their baby, and it killed him to think that he would have to spend most of the night consoling her because she'd be devastated at being alone in their room again.

"She's gonna be fine." He said softly, earning a stunned look from his wife, "Really, darlin'... She'll be absolutely fine."

"I know." Amelia tried to hide the fact that she was practically dying inside.

It would seem to be an extreme reaction to some people, but for Amelia, who had fought to keep herself from falling into another round of depression, and who had built such a strong and loving bond with her baby, it was unbearable to think that Daisy would be sleeping alone. She knew that Raphael could see right through her, so she kept her gaze trained on their child to try and avoid him, because one look in his direction could just send her into a fit of tears.

Taking a cup of tea that Leonardo handed him, Raphael carefully set it down in front of his wife, hearing soft, muttered words of thanks as she continued to feed Daisy, who was making quiet sounds of appreciation as she had her breakfast. The previous night, Amelia had barely slept, and she looked completely exhausted, so in an attempt to offer some emotional support and some consolation, Raphael gently put a hand on her back and started to rub it comfortingly.

Once Daisy had finished feeding, Raphael grabbed a burping cloth that Amelia had brought downstairs with her and put it on his shoulder, before lifting his daughter into his arms and settling her against his shoulder, rubbing her shell and then gently patting to wind her.

"While I'm thinking..." Amelia said as she leaned on the table, resting her head in her hand as it was supported by her elbow, "Are you okay to watch Daisy for a couple of hours this afternoon? I want to get back on the pole for a while. I haven't danced since she was born and I want to make sure I haven't lost it."

"Sure." Raphael said softly, chuckling as Daisy let out a big burp and then nuzzled into his neck, "Babe, you should've just said. I'd have taken her for a while if you wanted to use the dojo..."

"No, it's okay... I just need the exercise." Amelia said with a smile, clearing her throat.

Raphael knew that ' _needing the exercise_ ' meant something else entirely. It meant, ' _I need time to work out my inner turmoil_ '. That was usually why Amelia would dance in the first place. When it became apparent to both of them that they were having great difficulty in getting Amelia pregnant, he'd found her dancing on more than one occasion to either very sad or very angry songs. It was how she dealt with what was going on in her head, and he wished she could just tell him that she needed some time in the dojo, rather than leaving it until she was utterly miserable before she decided to open her mouth.

Before anyone could utter another word, however, the family was disturbed by the blaring of Donatello's alarm system. The purple-clad turtle was out of his seat in an instant, heading to his lab to find out what was going on. To his horror, descending on the lair in droves, were Foot solders. How they'd been found, he had no idea. He'd made the place as secure as it could possibly be, especially since there was a baby in the lair. A million and one horrid thoughts entered his head as he wondered what would happen if the Foot found Daisy.

Immediately, he started trying to buy the family some time by sealing off the entrances to the lair. Even though he had no doubt that the soldiers would be able to break through them, it would buy them enough time to get Amelia and Daisy to a safe place. The best place that he could think of, and that was the most structurally sound, was Amelia's office. The lair had been blown up once before, so Donatello knew that there was every chance that it could happen again, and he wanted his sister and his niece in the safest part of the lair, just in case.

"It's the Foot." He said as he rushed back to the kitchen, "I don't know how they found us, but I've sealed the entrances, just to give us the time to get Daisy and Amelia out of the way."

Amelia clung to her child in a panic, trying not to cry. She knew what happened to Raphael's brothers when they were discovered by the Foot before. They ended up almost being bled to death. If they found her baby...

"Babe, are you hearing me?!"

She was snapped out of her shocked state by Raphael, who was now cupping her face to try and get her attention. Their eyes met, and she saw something that she very rarely saw in the eyes of her husband. _Fear_. It scared the life out of her. She started to shake as she held Daisy close to her, unable to look anywhere but into the frightened, almost glowing eyes of her husband.

"You gotta take Daisy into your office. The safest place to hide will be under your desk, okay?" Raphael told her, earning a silent, tearful nod from her as she tried to calm herself down, "Put Daisy under the desk, and barricade the door. Do _not_ come out until one of us comes to get you. Am I clear?"

"C-Crystal..." She stammered, barely able to believe what was happening around her.

She could see Leonardo barking out orders to Donatello and Michelangelo, and then she saw Raphael lean down to kiss Daisy's head, and she heard him tell their daughter that he loved her, before he then cupped the back of Amelia's head and kissed her forehead in a long, loving kiss.

"I love you." He told her, brushing a falling tear from her cheek.

"I love you, too." She whispered, choking on a sob as she realised what he was doing.

He was saying goodbye, almost as a precaution in case... In case what? In case he died? In case something happened to her or Daisy? How was this even happening? They'd just been starting to have a normal, regular family breakfast and suddenly, their home was being invaded by people who'd almost killed Splinter, and Raphael's brothers several years earlier.

"Go, Amelia..." His voice hit her again, deep and low as he released her from his embrace and pushed her in the direction of her office, "Go!"

Heart hammering, throat dry and skin clammy, Amelia held her daughter tightly in her arms and ran for the office. She gave Raphael one last look as he drew his sai from his belt, and she closed the office door, locking it quickly before looking for something to barricade it with. Placing her whimpering daughter on the floor under the desk, Amelia tried to control her breathing and her sobs as she rested a hand on the frightened baby's plastron.

"Shhh, baby... It's okay." She said softly, "Shhh... Mama's gonna be right back."

Getting to her feet, she grabbed one of her recently emptied bookshelves that sat right next to the doorway, and reached for the upper shelves of it, before easing it down towards the floor. It was quite wide, so it blocked up most of the doorway, which made the young woman feel relieved to say the least. As she heard the sounds of the turtles and their father unleashing battle cries, Amelia's panic became even worse. She then realised that there wasn't anything else that she would be able to physically move to block the door, and as her baby started to wail under the desk, the young mother quickly rushed to her daughter, immediately scrambling under the desk with her in her arms, trying to keep her quiet.

She could hear gun fire, blades clashing, the yelling, the grunting, the commands from Leonardo, and all the time she kept Daisy held tightly to her, one hand covering one of the child's ear-slits so she couldn't hear what was going on. In order to keep the baby quiet, she rocked her lightly in her arms and kept eye contact with her, trying to offer her smiles, even though Amelia was almost having a panic attack.

She tried to keep positive thoughts going through her head. The boys had survived an attack like this before, and the only reason that they gave up last time was because they believed Raphael to be dead, and because Splinter was hurt. This time, not only were the boys better prepared, but they were better trained, and since Daisy had been born, Donatello had been improving the lair's internal security systems in the events of an attack like this. So, Amelia was doing her best to be confident that the brothers and their father would be able to stave off the attack.

For what felt like hours, Amelia sat and held her child, terrified for their lives, when she realised that the noise seemed to be getting quieter, as though the family were driving the Foot clan out of the lair and into the sewer tunnels around it. Relief washed over her. If they were driving the Foot out of the lair, that surely meant that the Foot were retreating. All she'd have to do was wait it out for a little longer, and Raphael would be coming to get her.

Leaning back against the metal of her desk, she swallowed thickly, letting out a deep breath, when all of a sudden, things fell deadly silent. Then came a series of booms, almost like... _Explosions_... Horror filled the young woman's heart as she realised that the boys had been lured away from the lair, and that they were now trapped in the sewer tunnels with people who were actually planning to blow them up.

The booming then seemed to get louder, and louder, until suddenly a horrendous noise engulfed her, and rumbling came from above where she and Daisy were sitting, as big chunks of concrete started to fall around her from the ceiling above. Heart in her throat, Amelia held her baby tighter as a roar filled her ears, and she then felt a shockwave as debris and dust hit the desk that she and Daisy were sheltered under. They were blowing up the lair, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Almost as quickly as they'd started, the explosions seemed to quieten down and come a stop, but in the silence that followed, Amelia heard nothing. No voices, no weapons clashing, no gunfire. It was eerily silent. She almost felt relieved that the ordeal was over and that she'd survived, and as she coughed in the dusty air while trying to keep Daisy's face shielded from the harmful dirt and grit that was hanging in the air, she heard a sudden cracking noise.

The office then seemed to collapse from underneath her. The room seemed to tilt, and then part of the floor started to give way. She didn't know how far it would fall, because she didn't know how deep these tunnels went, so her main priority was to try and find a way to get both her and her baby to safety. She climbed out clumsily from under the desk, spotting a nearby alcove in the chamber that was not only protected, but completely undamaged. The only problem was the very weak, very cracked ground in front of it. If she could just get them in there, they would be safe until someone came to get them, if anyone was still alive outside that office.

Struggling to her feet, Amelia ran across the breaking ground with Daisy gripped in her embrace, towards the sanctuary of the alcove. Just as she managed to get close to it, however, another loud explosion rocked the lair, and ground just gave away beneath her as concrete and dust flew in the direction of her and her baby. Screaming in terror, she grabbed onto the ledge of the alcove, dangling above what was at least a fifteen foot drop to another sturdier platform below. She pushed her daughter up with one hand, gripping her hard as she steadily pushed her on her shell into the alcove. Daisy was now screaming, and Amelia could see cuts on her tiny arms and legs from where the concrete had caught her during that last explosion.

Feeling her fingers slipping on the edge of the alcove, Amelia tried her best to hold herself up. She needed to get into that alcove because her baby was hurt. She was so young, and at great risk of infection from the grime and the dirt that was hovering around in the air, so Amelia wanted to wrap her up and try and protect the cuts from getting exposed to the dust. Before she could ease herself upward, however, a horrifying rumbling came from above her head, and she was caught hard on her shoulders by a falling piece of concrete which caused her to lose her grip on the ledge.

She screamed when she realised that she was going to fall fifteen feet to the platform of concrete below, and as more concrete hit her, she seemed to be pushed down quicker. With the sound of her baby's screams as well as her own filling her ears, along with the tirade of falling concrete, she fell into the chasm below, praying that her death would be quick, and that someone would find her baby.

She hit the platform with a pained grunt, and as her vision started to fade, she managed to get the strength up to try and cover her head as chunks of concrete came pouring down on top of her.

* * *

"It sounds like the whole lair's collapsing!" Raphael yelled as he and his family sprinted back towards their decimated home.

Panic was flooding his heart like a tsunami, and his only concern was finding his wife and child. He'd heard the explosions in the lair, and he knew how lucky he and his brothers had been to survive the explosions in the surrounding tunnels. Thankfully, the lair was in a deep enough part of the sewers were the surface wouldn't be damaged, so there was no risk of attracting too much unwanted attention.

When he finally burst through the broken entrance door of the lair, he stopped dead in his tracks, staring in horror at the destruction that had been caused in their home. The stairs were no longer there, and instead were replaced by mangled metal and cracked concrete that was piled up along with some of the upstairs rooms. Amelia's office door was completely buried.

"No..." Raphael breathed out, running towards the door to start moving chunks of rubble, "Amelia?!"

Everyone else hurried to start trying to move the rubble, all of them terrified for the welfare of their girls. Donatello, in particular, was concerned. He'd always believed her office to be structurally safe, yet it was clear to see that he may have been wrong in his assumption. His heart went into his throat. While Amelia had been zoned out and in a state of shock, he'd told Raphael that she needed to go in there with Daisy, and that she'd be safe. What if the worst had happened? He said she'd be safe in there...

"Shhh! Stop a sec!" Michelangelo hissed, causing everyone to stop their movements and listen out for whatever he'd heard.

Through a small gap in the debris came a the hysterical cries and screams of Daisy. She was alive. Maybe she was hurt, but she was alive. Once a gap had been cleared in order to get everyone through, Raphael headed into the office first, followed by Donatello, then Splinter, then Leonardo and then Michelangelo. Every one of them was stunned when they saw the condition that Amelia's office was in.

It was utterly destroyed. Her desk, computer and chair were gone, her bookshelves were destroyed, and it was then that the turtles and their father realised that half of the floor had caved in. In his panicked state Raphael went to the edge of the void, and looked down into the darkness. He looked up to the left where Daisy's screaming was coming from, and he saw his little girl laid on her shell, kicking and screaming in an alcove that was half buried by rubble.

"Oh, God..." Raphael's voice shook as he then looked into the void in utter horror, " _Amelia_?!"

Donatello stepped forward and shone the flashlight that he'd built into his goggles, into the void. He slowly moved it around to look for any sign of Amelia, and he was soon met with the sight of a pale hand with a wedding ring on it sticking out from a big pile of broken concrete. Raphael was torn. Did he get Daisy first or Amelia? Amelia was probably seriously hurt but Daisy was completely hysterical...

"Leo?" Donatello's voice broke him from his thoughts, "I need you to clear that rubble and get Daisy... Mikey, go and find Daisy's bassinet, her plushie and her blanket. Go now!"

Michelangelo climbed back through the hole to go and look for Daisy's things, while Leonardo began to move towards where Daisy was. He was terrified because he knew that she wasn't comfortable with him, and the last thing he wanted to do was to upset her more when she was already traumatised by what had happened.

"Dad, I need you to go and check my lab... If everything seems in good condition, I need you to get the medical bed ready, and then come back to help with Amelia and Daisy..." Donatello's voice was low as he spoke to his father, who carried out his orders without question, "Raph...?"

Raphael was now tearful and wide-eyed as he stared into the void where his wife was trapped. It was almost as if he was back in time, staring at the body of his father while April tried to free him from his concrete prison all those years ago. He had to take a moment to pull himself together, because his wife needed him, and if he didn't have a clear head, it could cost the young woman her life.

"Raph, I don't know how sturdy that platform is down there, so we need to be careful, okay?" Donatello's voice was gentle as he spoke to his brother, "I'm going to stay up here and check Daisy over first, and then I'll come down to help you and Amelia. Tie this round your waist."

Raphael took the rope that Donatello was holding out to him in shaking hands and tied it around his waist, while Donatello held onto the other end. He already had rope tied around his own waist so that the others could hoist him out when they finally got Amelia out of the rubble. He needed to keep Raphael calm, because he knew that the older turtle was thinking all kinds of horrible things about his wife's condition, and for Amelia's safety, if she was still alive, it was best for Raphael to be calm.

"When you uncover her, don't move her. Check her pulse, listen for breathing, and then try and find where she's injured, but you can't move her until I get down there, okay?" Donatello instructed, earning a nod from his older brother, "Go, now. Be careful."

As Donatello supported Raphael's weight the best he could with the rope, Leonardo continued to remove the rubble to get his niece out of the alcove she was trapped in. Michelangelo hurried back in with everything that Donatello had told him to get, and Splinter came back to tell Donatello that the lab was in working order. Raphael wasted no time in starting to remove the rubble from his wife's body, while Leonardo carefully lifted his niece out of the alcove, balancing precariously on a pile of rubble as he held onto her.

"I've got you, sweetheart..." He soothed her gently as he held her close to his chest and checked her over for injury, "Donnie? She's got some cuts on her body, and a bruise on her head..."

"Bring her over here." Donatello instructed, handing Raphael's rope to Michelangelo before going to tend to his niece.

Daisy squealed, shrieked and cried as she trembled in Leonardo's arms, yet she seemed to calm a little as Donatello approached her and checked her tiny limbs over for any signs of breaks or serious injury. He softly talked to her to try and soothe her, and he concluded that all she was going to have was bruising as well as the cuts, so he told Leonardo to wrap her in her blanket to warm her because she was in shock.

"Donnie!"

The sound of Raphael's broken voice caught Donatello's attention, and he looked over the ledge to see his older brother knelt by his wife's body, looking utterly distraught and helpless. He prepared to go down to join them when he heard Raphael call back up to him again, causing everyone's hearts to drop to their stomachs.

"She's not breathing!"

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **A/N:** I know! I know! I'm a terrible person! You'll have to wait another 24 hours to find out what happens! I know the attack seemingly comes out of nowhere, but that's the point of it. I wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to be lulled into a false sense of security, and how everything can change in the blink of an eye. I hope I did well with this anyway. I wanted it to be more from Amelia's point of view initially, since I'm not very good at writing fight scenes, and since she and Daisy are pretty much defenceless. Thanks for listening to my rambling!

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	17. Recovery

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Here we are! An update in 24 hours, as promised! I know the last chapter was pretty intense, but hopefully this one won't be so bad. I hope you enjoy it! We're also very close to finding out what order the next fics will be coming in, and some of the results are very close. I'll be counting PM votes, poll votes and review votes, which I have marked on a spreadsheet, so I can tell you it's kind of close between two of the turtles, so if there happens to be a draw, I'll flip a coin.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Aww, hun! Don't cry! You'll have to read on to find out what happens, and yes, the Foot Clan are stupid, I know. Just take deep breaths, and read on :P You'll find out what happens. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Yay! Thank you! I wanted it to be unexpected, because I wanted to show just how vulnerable you can actually be and how quickly circumstances can change. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **felicia2235:** Thanks for the review! And yes, really. Unfortunately, if you're married to a Ninja Turtle, this kind of stuff has to be expected at some point. Doesn't make it right, but it's the risk you take if you get involved with them :( Enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** Whoa, dude... Don't put me in the same club with _Umbridge_! That's harsh, man! ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, hun! I hope you enjoy this one too!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Seventeen: Recovery }**

Donatello was by Raphael's side in a heartbeat, and he rolled Amelia over onto her back, leaning towards her chest to listen for breathing.

No breathing. But her heart was beating, even if it was very faint, and rather slow. He wasn't going to tell Raphael that of course, just in case the worst happened. Raphael ran his hands over his head in horror as he saw Donatello leaned over his wife, feeling her torso for any sign of damage before he started performing any kind of resuscitation. She had a few broken ribs, which meant that Donatello was going to have to be extra careful with his compressions. He tilted back her head and tried to breathe some air into her lungs before he started pumping her chest, worry crossing his features as he took in the state of her as she lay pale and bleeding on the ground.

She had a gash on her head and a large bump which looked incredibly painful, there were cuts on her face and her skin was grey. His heart was in his throat as he stared down at her prone form, his voice coming out in a low growl as he spoke to her. If she died, it was on him. He told Raphael that this was the safest place for her, and he was damned if he was going to let her life slip away like that. He didn't exactly have anything to jump-start her heart with, so he could only hope that she'd been in the state for very little time, and that the compressions and mouth to mouth would be enough to get her heart going at a decent rate again. He could practically feel her slipping away already.

"Don't you dare do this." He said darkly, "You have a husband and a baby who need you..."

He leaned down to blow some more air into her lungs before he started with the chest compressions again. Anger started to lace his voice as he spoke to her again, gripped by a fear he hadn't experienced in a long, long time.

"You have brothers, and a father who need you!" His voice cracked as he felt the emotion building in his chest, his words urgent, but coming out quietly as he focused on pumping her chest, "Come on, Amelia... Please, don't leave us!"

Up at the edge of the void, Leonardo cradled Daisy to his chest, who was holding onto his finger for dear life and whimpering softly to herself, while he gazed down at the scene below with utter horror when he realised Amelia wasn't responding. Michelangelo stood there in tears, unable to take his eyes away from the young woman's lifeless body. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Amelia. He couldn't bear the thought of Raphael growing old without his wife, and he couldn't bear the thought of Daisy growing up without her mother. Splinter reached across with one paw, holding onto Donatello's rope with his tail and spare paw, before rubbing Michelangelo's shoulder comfortingly.

As Donatello leaned down to give Amelia more rescue breaths, he heard a raspy cough come from beneath him. Stopping his compressions instantly, he stared at her for a few moments with eyes that were sparkling with the beginnings of tears, and as her eyes opened, his heart swelled with relief at the fact that she was conscious, and alert.

"D-Donnie?" She mumbled, coughing again as she winced in pain.

"Oh, thank God!" Donatello breathed, hearing celebratory shouts from above and a near sob of relief from Raphael as he leaned down and kissed his sister's forehead, "Good girl..."

"Daisy..." Amelia wheezed, trying to sit up to look for her daughter.

"Daisy's safe." He reassured her, pushing her back down, "She's just got some cuts and bruises, okay? Leo's got her, but you need to stay down for me because you've got broken ribs and I don't want you to hurt yourself any more, okay? I've just had to perform CPR on you, so you need to stay put."

Amelia winced and rolled onto her side as she took shallow wheezing breaths, and Raphael moved over to her slowly, reaching out to take her hand in his own. She held it in a vice-like grip, trying to pull his huge form closer to her as though seeking shelter with him. Donatello let out a huff of relief before he made his way back up to the surface to try and decide what was best to do next, while Raphael carefully lifted his injured wife into his arms and settled her in his lap, leaning down to kiss the uninjured part of her forehead.

"Fuck, Amelia... You scared the hell out of me." He breathed, balancing her carefully in one arm as he prepared to start climbing up to the surface with her.

"D-Don't let go..." Amelia gasped, wincing and coughing as she inhaled more dust.

"Never." Raphael promised, looking into her glazed blue eyes as she gripped him tightly, "You're gonna be fine, sweetheart."

"You can start climbing, Raph!" Donatello called, turning to Leonardo who was still cradling his niece, "Leo, put her in the bassinet and then we can check her over properly in the lab."

Leonardo set Daisy in the bassinet and passed the plushie to her, which she held tightly as she started to wail again. The oldest turtle picked up the bassinet and headed towards Donatello's lab with her cradled in it, so that his younger brother could check her over properly. He tried to calm her and hush her as she held her plushie to her chest, but her crying didn't seem to quieten any, no matter how hard he tried.

Minutes later, Raphael and Donatello came in with Splinter in tow, a now near-unconscious Amelia held in Raphael's arms. As she was set on the medical bed, Donatello told Leonardo to clean Daisy's cuts and wrap her in another blanket since she was still trembling quite violently. So, after Leonardo had cleaned his niece's wounds while having to listen to her wailing in pain, he got her wrapped up nice and warm in a bundle of blankets and he took her away from the lab towards what was left of the living area.

The kitchen was destroyed, but somehow Donatello's lab had stayed in tact. The sitting area was filthy, but other than that it was barely damaged. The stairs, however, were obliterated, and Leonardo wondered if they'd taken the brunt of the explosions. Michelangelo came back from the upstairs area just as Leonardo sat down with Daisy on the couch, and the younger turtle sat beside him wearily, running his hands over his head.

"Our bedrooms are practically gone... My comic books and DVDs are safe, I know that. Raph and Amelia's room isn't too bad, but the frame of the bed's gonna need to be replaced." He explained tiredly, "Your room's almost non-existent, apart from your bed. The bathroom's gone. But Daisy's room's completely untouched."

After another moment of quiet, Michelangelo buried his head in his hands and let out a harsh sigh, to which Leonardo responded by carefully touching his shell, and then moving his hand to cup the back of his brother's neck in a soothing gesture. It had been traumatic for all of them. Not only to come back and find their home wrecked, but they'd found their youngest family member injured, and Amelia had almost lost her life. It had been a very, very trying morning so far.

"I thought they were dead." Michelangelo breathed, looking at his niece, who was laid quietly in Leonardo's embrace, "Hey... She's not crying..."

"No. She isn't." Leonardo said softly, looking down at his niece as he readjusted his hold on her, allowing her to hold onto his finger, "I think she and I are okay now."

Michelangelo watched as Leonardo smiled down at Daisy, and he actually got a tearful smile in return, almost as though she was thanking him for saving her life. She gripped his finger as hard as she could, whimpering to herself as she moved inside the blankets. Looking around their damaged home, Leonardo and Michelangelo let out a quiet breath each, before the younger brother spoke again.

"We're gonna have to leave again, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Leonardo answered solemnly, "We are."

"Amelia put so much work into this place." Michelangelo said sadly, "You know... Trying to make it nicer. And we're gonna have to pack up and start somewhere new."

"I know it's hard, Mikey." Leonardo said quietly, "But, we can't risk the Foot finding us again. We're lucky to still have Daisy and Amelia with us."

After another moment of contemplation, Michelangelo leaned down and kissed Daisy's head, being mindful of her bruising, before he got out of his seat. He pulled his phone from his belt and started to scroll through, looking for April's phone number.

"I'll call April and Vern. Tell them what happened." He said glumly, "They might help us out with the move. I'm sure Raph will want to get Amelia and Daisy settled somewhere else sooner rather than later."

Leonardo watched his little brother go to call their human friends, before he leaned back against the couch, rubbing his free hand tiredly over his face. He heard a whine come from the baby in his arms and he looked down at her, noticing how sad she looked as she tried to reach for him. He was beyond grateful that the baby only had very minor injuries, and that she wasn't dead or more seriously hurt. No matter how hard the first few months had been for him to bond with her, he had a feeling that now, Daisy was quite happy to be around him and with him, and he was even more grateful for that.

"What is it, sweetheart?" He asked her, leaning down to kiss her forehead, "It's alright..."

He then felt tiny hands exploring his face, and as he pulled back to look at the beautiful baby girl in his arms, he saw her smiling tearfully as she ran her hands over his cheeks, occasionally squeezing at his skin. Leonardo felt a sense of peace wash over him. Finally, he was having some positive interactions with his niece, and she wasn't crying or screaming to get away from him.

"See. I told you she'd learn to love you, eventually."

Leonardo looked up to see a very emotionally exhausted looking Raphael standing near the armchair to his right, and instinctively, Leonardo got up and approached his younger brother, handing him the baby. Raphael took Daisy into his arms and brought to his shoulder, holding her tightly to him as he breathed in her scent. Then, he took in a sharp breath and Leonardo saw the tears in his eyes. He'd almost lost his wife and daughter in horrific circumstances, so Leonardo knew that Raphael had every right to be an emotional wreck.

"Thanks for saving my baby, Leo." The younger turtle breathed, reaching out with one hand and squeezing Leonardo's shoulder before he returned it to his baby's shell, leaning towards her scalp and whispering against her skin, "I love you so much, sweetheart..."

He kissed her head and took a moment to wipe his eyes, taking in a deep breath to get his emotions under control. Leonardo put a hand on Raphael's shell and rubbed it in a comforting manner to try and help him calm down. It had been a trying ordeal for all of them, but for Raphael to have to dig his own wife out of piles of broken concrete, and to have to watch while Donatello breathed for her and pumped her chest to bring her back... It must've been awful for him, and Leonardo could only imagine the relief that he was feeling right now. Raphael had nearly lost everything he held so dearly to him, and it was, frankly, a miracle that both his wife and daughter had come out of this with injuries that weren't particularly serious.

"How's Amelia doing?" The older turtle asked, earning a concerned look from Raphael, who shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"She's awake. But, she's in a lot of pain." He explained, pressing another kiss to Daisy's head, "She won't stop asking for Daisy, so... You don't mind me taking her, do you?"

"You don't even have to ask me." Leonardo said, shaking his head, "I'll come with you."

"Good. 'Cause she's asking for you, too." Raphael said with a small grin, before his expression fell serious again, "She's not as bad as she looks, okay? She looks pretty beat up."

The two of them set off towards the lab, and as Leonardo emerged in the doorway, he saw what Raphael meant. Her face and arms were cut, her forehead had a huge bump on it where Donatello was currently applying a cold compress, and already, there was bruising beginning to appear on her pale skin. Stepping into the lab, Leonardo watched sorrowfully as Raphael placed Daisy in his wife's arms, and she cradled her child with a deeply sad expression on her face.

"Oh, baby..." She whispered, stroking the infant's head gently, "I love you so much..."

"She's gonna be okay." Donatello reassured her softly, "The cuts won't take long to heal and the bruising won't be too bad. Don't worry."

Amelia then looked up as she saw Leonardo approaching the bed, and she broke into a warm smile, wincing at the pain in her cut lip as she did so. He smiled at her sadly and leaned down to kiss the crown of her head, being careful not to hurt her as he did so.

"Thank you, Leo." She breathed, "You saved our little girl."

"Don't thank me." Leonardo whispered, "I'm just glad that you're both safe."

Amelia tried to reach up to hug him, but the pain in her arms and torso was so tremendous that she couldn't, and the gasp that she let out of utter agony caused all three turtles to hover around her to see if they could do anything for her.

"Steady." Leonardo said in a gentle voice, "You need to rest, Amelia. You're hurt."

Raphael noticed that Amelia was struggling to manage with Daisy, so he lifted the baby upwards and forwards so that she was resting against Amelia's chest. Daisy burrowed down, apparently very happy to be with her mother again. The young woman closed her eyes and breathed in her baby's scent as Raphael tenderly brushed a hand over her hair, leaning forward to gently kiss her temple. He was so damn thankful that she was okay. Yes, she was hurt, but she'd make a full recovery, and so would Daisy. He'd almost lost her once before, and he wasn't prepared to go through that ever again.

Looking up into her beautiful eyes, he saw the colour drain from her face suddenly in the dim light of the lab. Her expression fell slack, and her eyes rolled in her head, which sent panic rising up in Raphael's chest. He knew what that meant. After being present numerous times when Amelia had lost her stomach, he'd learned the signs of when she was about to vomit _very_ quickly.

"Donnie, get a bucket." He said, lifting Daisy off of Amelia's chest and passing her to Leonardo, who backed away from the bed as Donatello handed Raphael a bucket at lightning speed, "Get her hair."

Donatello slid his hands into Amelia's hair, gathered it in his hands and then twisted it around his hand to keep it back and out of her face as Raphael held the bucket under Amelia's chin, just as she lurched forward and started hurling into it. Her hand rested on top of Raphael's as she held the bucket, and she dug her nails into his fingers at the pain as she retched loudly. Tears leaked from her eyes as she started violently coughing, and as she spat the last of the first round of vomiting into the bucket, she heaved in a huge breath which then caused her to cry out in pain. Donatello rubbed her back soothingly, noticing the concerned look that his older brother was giving him.

"Don't worry." He said gently, "A bad hit to the head can cause a real shock to the system, which is probably what's made her sick."

Amelia hurled again and let out a gut-wrenching sound, like a near-scream of pain as she emptied her stomach into the bucket that Raphael kept held under her chin, which sent Daisy into a panic. Leonardo turned her away so that she could look at Splinter and Michelangelo instead of her ill mother, and as the rat and the younger turtle entered the room, they both looked horrified to see the condition Amelia was in.

"Shhh..." Raphael soothed his wife the best he could as she let out the most mournful sounds of pure agony that he'd ever heard come from her.

He couldn't bear to hear or see her in this state, and Donatello carefully moved his hand from Amelia's back just to pat Raphael's shoulder in reassurance. Amelia spat some more vomit into the bucket, keeping her head down as she trembled underneath Donatello and Raphael's hands. Splinter went to the sink that Donatello had in the lab and got a cup of water for her, amazed to find that the water was still running. He then patiently waited for her to catch her breath and recover from the pain before he handed the cup to her for her to drink from and swill out her mouth. She weakly drank from it, swirled the water around in her mouth, and then spat that into the bucket, trying not to inhale the scent of her own stomach contents, as it floated around in a messy concoction in the bottom of the bucket. She then drank from the water again, wincing in the pain that flooded her from head to toe before swallowing the liquid, easing herself back against the pillows that she was propped up against with Raphael's help. Splinter then went to empty the bucket as Donatello released Amelia's hair and went back to resting the cold compress against her forehead.

He pushed his glasses up onto his face and then lowered his goggles to check her vitals as she started shivering, while Raphael pulled the blanket around her waist and tenderly wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. He watched over her worriedly, taking over from Donatello and holding the compress to her forehead. The least he could do right now was try and ease the swelling of the large bump on her head, since he couldn't do much else.

Exhausted, trembling and hurting, Amelia weakly lifted a hand to gesture for Leonardo to bring Daisy back, and he carefully set the baby against Amelia's chest, seeing how the young woman sagged with apparent relief as she reached up to hold her child. After a few moments of silence, Michelangelo slowly approached the bed, reaching to take Amelia's left hand as it rested in her lap.

"Hi, baby-doll..." He whispered, eyes glistening in the dim light.

"Hey, Mikey." Amelia breathed, swallowing thickly as she felt a sudden wave of nausea sweep over her, her eyes rolling slightly in her head as she blinked to try and get her vision clear again.

All of sudden, out of nowhere, Michelangelo started wiping at his eyes as he let out a mournful whine, almost like a wounded animal. Everyone stilled for a moment and stared at him, stunned by his outburst, but Donatello snapped out of it relatively quickly and moved to get his chair for his younger brother, wheeling it towards Michelangelo so that he could sit by their sister and niece, since it was obvious that he was very emotional. Amelia nodded to Raphael who removed the compress from her head and then stepped away from the bed with Leonardo, Donatello and Splinter, giving the orange-clad turtle and the young woman some privacy.

Michelangelo was probably the most outwardly emotional out of all of them. Even though Raphael could be very quick to fly off the handle and lose his temper, when it came to things like this, he kept it to himself usually until he couldn't take it any more. For Michelangelo, who'd loved Amelia since the day he met her, and who'd loved his niece from the moment he knew she was growing in her egg, the fact that they'd nearly lost both of them was heartbreaking.

It was hard for his brothers and father to watch as he gently pulled Amelia forward to try and embrace her, and as the young woman moved her daughter to her other arm, she managed to grit her teeth and lean forward to embrace him as closely as she could. She cupped the back of his head and stroked it soothingly with her thumb, trying to calm him down. He was trying not to totally lose it, and he could barely breathe because he was desperately trying to keep himself from blubbering like a baby, even though he was already shedding tears.

"What is it, sweetie?" She asked him, grateful that her shakes had finally subsided as she held him to her.

"I thought you were both... I can't..." His words were coming out in between big gasps as he tried to stop himself from breaking into sobs, so Amelia held him a little tighter, hushed him and pressed a long kiss to his temple.

"Shhh... Take a deep breath, honey." She was speaking in the mothering tone that the family had come to love so much, and Michelangelo did as she asked him without question, "Good... And again."

Now that he seemed calmer, Amelia looked over his shoulder at her husband, who smiled gratefully at her and nodded to her when he saw the tears in her eyes. He was trying to reassure her without interrupting what was going on with her and his brother, because he knew that Michelangelo was a big kid at heart. Stuff like this scared the living hell out of him, and because he loved her and Daisy so much, it was understandable that he'd broken down like that in front of Amelia, so Raphael wanted to give him time with them both on his own to get over the initial shock of what had happened.

"Daisy and I are gonna be fine, thanks to you guys." Amelia told the youngest brother quietly, pulling back from the hug to try and wipe his tears away, "Don't you worry about a thing."

"I always worry." He admitted, sniffling and wiping his eyes hurriedly with the back of his hand, "You're my sister. And Daisy's my niece. You're our priority..."

"And you guys are all my priority." Amelia told him, cupping his cheek gently, despite the pain in her limbs, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Michelangelo sniffled again, looking at her with a tearful smile before he leaned forward and kissed the undamaged part of her forehead, "I love you guys."

"We love you too..." Amelia said with a small smile, allowing him to embrace her once more.

Raphael took that opportunity to step forward and ease Michelangelo out of the seat. He knew that Amelia needed her rest and that she probably just wanted some peace and quiet, so he gently sent his youngest brother off in the direction of their father. The sound of thudding footsteps hit everyone's ears, however, and Leonardo turned to see April and Vern sprinting towards them, a bouquet of roses held in Vern's hand. Instantly he moved to the right to allow the pair to enter the lab, and as soon as April saw the battered and bruised mother and daughter on the medical bed, she had to fight not to burst into tears, as Michelangelo had done moments before.

"Oh, God... Amelia!" She gasped, walking towards the bed with Vern in tow.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Amelia reassured her straight away, rubbing her baby's shell gently, "I've got a few broken ribs and some bruising, but other than that I'll be fine."

April then looked at the baby turtle, who was being carefully cradled to her mother's chest. Tears filled her eyes as she saw the cuts and bruises on Daisy's fragile body, and Vern placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before softly laying the roses on Amelia's lap. It was even hard for him to see the two of them looking so battered and bruised. Yeah, he could be a bit of a dick sometimes, he knew that. But he'd have been devastated if either of them had been seriously hurt or killed.

"Daisy..." April breathed out, looking at her niece with sorrowful eyes.

"They're very minor cuts and bruises. She'll be fine within a couple of weeks." Donatello said softly, taking the cold compress from Raphael to place it against Amelia's head again.

"We wanted to bring you something to make you feel a little better, but we weren't sure what to get for you, so we got you some flowers." April said with a weak smile.

"Thanks, guys. They're lovely." Amelia said softly, looking to her husband with tired eyes, "Honey, would you put these in some water, please?"

"Sure." Raphael replied, taking the bouquet to go and find something to put them in.

"Do you guys need anything?" Vern asked, his tone of voice and expression unusually sincere, "Do you need anything for the baby?"

"Her room's in tact." Michelangelo said from the back of the room, "Her stuff's completely undamaged."

"We could use some help moving elsewhere, though, if that's okay." Leonardo said as he moved to Amelia's side, "We need to get Daisy and Amelia settled in to our new home as quickly as possible. It's not safe for them here."

"Of course." April said, wiping her eyes with her fingers, "Anything you need."

Donatello stepped reached for the box of tissues on his desk and handed them to the reporter, who thanked him with a gentle smile as he also placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing in a soothing manner. She looked back at Daisy as Raphael returned to the room with the bouquet in a jug of water, which he placed on a nearby workbench so that Amelia could see it. Against the injured woman's chest, the youngest family member wriggled and started to huff and kick, which was clearly causing her mother considerable pain, so April steadily lifted the baby from Amelia's chest, only for her to start kicking even harder and crying as she extended her arms, like she was reaching for someone.

Raphael looked from his daughter, to his oldest brother, and back again, realising that the person that Daisy wanted to be with was, in fact, Leonardo. It was amazing to think that their bond had changed so drastically in such a short space of time. He nudged Leonardo's arm, knowing damn well that his brother could see Daisy reaching for him, and he nodded towards April.

"I think she wants you, Leo."

Leaning over the medical bed, Leonardo took his niece from April's hands and brought her to rest against his shoulder, hushing her and gently bouncing her to settle her down. To everyone's astonishment, within seconds, Daisy was quiet, and looked briefly across at April and Vern who offered her bright, reassuring smiles. She smiled back at them with tears in her eyes and then looked at Leonardo again, before taking his face in her tiny hands, and pressing her open mouth and tongue against his cheek in an attempt at a kiss.

It was something that Daisy had been doing regularly with the others, especially Raphael and Amelia, and they knew she was trying to mimic the kisses that they gave her or that Amelia gave the brothers and Splinter, and it was incredibly sweet to see Daisy do the same for Leonardo when she'd spent the first few months of her life detesting the very sight of him.

While Leonardo continued to enjoy this special bonding time with his niece, everyone else apart from Raphael and Amelia moved into the living area of the lair to start the process of moving home once again.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	18. Starting Over

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi everyone! Thanks for sticking with me this far! I can say that this fic is almost at an end, but as promised, I will do little one-shots when I can and post them as chapters of a new fic. It won't be updated as regularly as the other fics will be, but as I said, I'll update it when I can, so you can enjoy plenty of stories about the family as Daisy grows up. As of now, the poll is closed, so if you still haven't voted and you'd like to, PM me or leave your vote in a review, and I'll reveal the name and summary of the next fic in the final chapter of this story! Thanks so much for all the support so far! It really means the world to me!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** I'm glad they're alive too! ;) Thanks for the review hun!

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Thanks again for the review! I hope you enjoy not only the rest of this fic, but the one-shots as well, when I get around to doing them.

 **The Silvernote:** Baby kisses are the best, even if they are kind of gross :D And yes! Finally Leo got to bond with his niece! I hope you enjoy this chapter, hun! Thanks for the continued support!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Eighteen: Starting Over }**

That afternoon, Donatello led his father, Raphael, Michelangelo, April and Vern towards somewhere that he'd already scouted out as a potential new home in case of emergencies.

Since the first lair was destroyed four years before, he'd purposely found somewhere else that the family could evacuate to if the same happened again, and now that their second home had been reduced to rubble, this new set of chambers deeper in the tunnels would be more than suitable for their family. It had plenty of space for a young child to explore, it had enough space for everyone to have a decent level of privacy away from the main chamber, and it was a lot bigger than their previous home.

He'd even started wiring electricity into the place when Foot activity was on the increase, because he'd had this lingering fear in his gut that they would find the lair again. He still had no idea how they'd breached his security systems, and he made a vow to work his backside off until the new ones were the best, highest performing security systems he could devise. No-one would ever harm his sister or his niece again. He'd make sure of it. The fact that the Foot had somehow managed to sneak past his surveillance systems was scary enough, but to almost lose Amelia and Daisy too? No. He'd definitely put all the effort he could into making their new security systems as strong as he could.

With Leonardo staying at the old lair to care for Amelia and Daisy, it meant that the others could get a good start on getting their new home set up so that there was a working bathroom, and a suitable sleeping area in order to move the injured mother and daughter there as quickly as possible. The medical bed was on wheels, so Amelia and Daisy could be easily transported from one home to the other, and because Daisy's furniture was in tact, the youngest family member had her own bed to sleep in, which meant she had something familiar in her new surroundings. She also had all her toys, her changing table, and all of the other things that she was used to, which would help with the transition from one home to the other.

The priority was to make sure that Amelia and Daisy could be moved that night, and then the family could work in teams to move possessions from the old lair to the new one over the following days, and that way, Amelia and Daisy would be accompanied by at least one person at all times. At the moment, the mother and daughter were still on the large medical bed in the lab, while Leonardo prepared to give Daisy a sponge bath.

"Do you need anything, Amelia?" He asked, bringing a bowl of warm water towards the medical bed.

"No, thank you." Amelia replied, clearly half asleep, "I'm fine."

"How's the head?" He asked, indicating the compress that was now taped to her forehead.

"Sore." She mumbled, her eyes still closed, "But I'll sleep it off."

"I'm gonna keep waking you every now and again to make sure you're alright." Leonardo warned her as he grabbed a sponge and a washcloth that Donatello kept in one of his stacks of drawers, "I know Donnie said I didn't need to, but for my own sanity..."

"That's fine." Amelia murmured, gently kissing Daisy who was still leaning against her mother, just enjoying their cuddle, "Do you want a hand with bathing Daisy?"

"No, you get some sleep." Leonardo said quietly, "I've got her..."

He reached down and carefully eased her out of Amelia's arms, before placing her on the towel that was in the space next to Amelia. The medical bed was like a double bed, since it had to accommodate Raphael's enormous frame, so with Amelia, who was much smaller than Raphael, only taking up half of the bed, Daisy could have her sponge bath next to her mother, who could soothe her if need be. Sitting Daisy against her mother's leg on top of the fluffy towel, Leonardo wet the sponge in the bowl and the rung it out a little before gently cleaning Daisy's body, which wasn't entirely free of the dust that had settled on her after the collapse in the office. Daisy liked baths, so she happily let Leonardo clean her arms first, until he eased the sponge over one of her cuts. She gasped and tried to pull her arm away, letting out a soft whimper.

"I'm sorry, honey..." Leonardo tried to soothe her tenderly, dipping the sponge back in the water again, "This won't take long, I promise."

Amelia sleepily reached out and started stroking her daughter's head gently with the pads of her fingers, and this seemed to calm Daisy down as Leonardo gently continued to wash her. Little huffs came from the baby's lips as he passed over her wounds, and she shuddered in pain as he cleaned a slightly deeper wound on her leg, but other than that, she was very brave, and didn't make another sound. Once he was done, Leonardo carefully wrapped her in a towel and patted her dry very gently, before he set her back against her mother's chest, where she settled contentedly with sleepy eyes.

He took the bowl away and left it on a the workbench where Amelia's flowers sat, and he then eased himself into the chair by Amelia's right side, and he reached over to take her bruised hand, stroking it gently to help her fall asleep. He saw her smile and her fingers curled around his, while her other arm supported the infant who was curled into her embrace. They were incredibly lucky that the mother and baby were still with them. If they'd been any later... No. He didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to focus on the fact that they were still alive, and that they were going to be okay.

"I knew she'd take to you eventually." Amelia whispered, turning her head and opening her eyes to look at her older brother, "You did a great job with bathing her, by the way. Sometimes, she doesn't behave half so well for Raph and I."

"I'm glad that she and I are friends now." He said softly, looking at the baby who was smiling at him from her place on her mother's chest, before her eyes closed sleepily, "She's such a beautiful baby."

"She is." Amelia's was gentle as she kissed Daisy's head, "Raphael calls her his ' _little flower_ '. But don't tell him I told you that."

"Really?" Leonardo asked with a smirk, "He calls her _'little flower_ '?"

Amelia nodded and let a small smile as she settled against the pillows to try and get comfortable, squeezing Leonardo's hand as pain shot through her torso. Concerned, he questioned whether or not he should take Daisy for a while but as Amelia kissed her head again and breathed her in, he knew it was better for both mother and daughter if they stayed put. Amelia had become extremely possessive and protective over Daisy since they'd been reunited a few hours earlier, and anyone who tried to take the baby was met with nothing but shouts and cries from Amelia to give the baby back to her. Her primal, maternal instinct was stronger than it had ever been, so Leonardo knew that it was best that the two remain together whenever possible, until Amelia felt okay to be separated from her baby.

"It's usually what he calls her when he says goodnight to her, and when he greets her in the morning." Amelia told him, swallowing thickly, "Could you get me some water, please?"

"Sure." Leonardo replied with a grin, getting out of his seat only to earn a whine from Daisy.

"He's coming back, baby... He's coming back." Amelia soothed her, resting her cheek to her baby's head.

Leonardo watched his little sister cradling her baby, smiling as relief seemed to wash over him that she was so resilient, and that she really was going to be okay. Watching for a few moments more, he turned on his heel and went to get her some more water.

* * *

At the new lair, the family had worked hard for several hours to get a working bathroom. Finally, at around six in the evening, it was finished, and at least fit for use until Donatello could do some more work on it. Daisy's furniture was in the main chamber, and the next job was to salvage what the could from the old lair to at least have a sleeping space for the brothers and Splinter to use.

The kitchen at the old lair was destroyed, so Donatello's first priority for the next day was to get a new refrigerator and stove, and the something that resembled kitchen counters. Then, there was a washing machine and a dryer for Amelia's laundry to pick up, and of course, cutlery and crockery for them to eat with. April had offered to go and pick up whatever they needed, and Amelia would send her the money afterwards, but Vern and April were determined to go halves on something and to treat it as a house-warming gift for the new lair.

The other priority was moving Donatello's technological equipment so that he could start setting up the new security systems straight away. For their first night there, the brothers and Splinter were going to sit up in shifts and keep watch to make sure the family was safe, while the others got some much needed rest. Everyone went back and forth with pillows, duvets and mattresses, and fortunately, the only person who would need an entire set of new bedroom furniture barring a bookcase, was Michelangelo. Everyone else's furniture was either in tact or repairable.

So, with a bag of clothes for Amelia, and with the last of the bedding moved out of the old lair, Raphael went to his wife to tell her that they were ready to move her to their new home. He was going to carry her to and from the van, and Daisy was going to be transported in her bassinet. The medical bed would be taken to the new lair by Leonardo and Michelangelo, since there wasn't room for it in the van, like they previously thought there would be.

When he got to her, he found her and their daughter bundled up together in blankets on the medical bed, sleeping peacefully with Daisy's hand wrapped around her mother's fingers. He almost didn't want to disturb the young woman, but he had to. The sooner the two of them were out of this deathtrap the better. He approached her steadily and sat in the chair beside her, gently stroking his fingers over her messy, dirty hair. Due to the urgency to move them out of the lair, Raphael hadn't had the chance to clean her up properly, yet. He was going to bathe with her when they got to the new lair and wash her hair for her while the sheets on the medical bed were changed for her, because he had no doubt in his mind that she wouldn't manage on her own, and that she probably wanted nothing more than to be cleaned up.

"Amelia?" His voice was so gentle as he tried to wake her, his fingers continuing to play with her tangled hair, "Darlin', we have to go..."

"Hmm?" Amelia hummed, turning her head slightly in his direction, frowning with her eyes still closed.

"We gotta go." He repeated himself softly, looking up as Donatello came to ease Daisy out of her arms, only for Amelia to hold her tighter in protest, "I'll carry them both, Donnie."

Donatello nodded as Raphael stood from his chair and lifted up his injured wife and child with ease, making sure to tip them slightly so that Amelia and Daisy were leaned closer to his chest. Donatello would be driving the van, so Raphael knew that the journey would be pretty smooth. After the tunnels around the lair had been blown up, the brothers had cleared most of the debris away to make a clear path to the new lair, and they were now much wider, which meant that Donnie wouldn't have to go to the surface in order to transport the injured mother and child from the old lair to the new one, and it made moving furniture much easier as well.

Part of the security protocol would be rebuilding the tunnels nearby so that they were back to their original state, which would take a lot of work, but at least Donatello would be able to plant security systems into the walls so that intruders couldn't detect them and disable them. He held the back of the van open for Raphael, who carefully stepped inside and sat himself down in the back with Amelia, Daisy and Franklin the turtle plushie held to his chest. The younger turtle watched carefully to make sure that they were settled before he got ready to drive them to the new lair.

Amelia gazed up at Raphael lovingly as Donatello closed the doors to move to the front of the van, leaving them in the dim light of the van's interior. Raphael smiled down at her, tenderly pressing his head to hers as she snuggled against his chest, keeping their daughter and her toy held close. He was so grateful that they were both going to be okay, and that they were still alive. In Amelia's case, if he'd been a couple of minutes later, the outcome could've been _very_ different.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't keep you safe." He breathed out, trying to stop the onset of tears that threatened to fill his eyes as Donatello started the van, "I love you so much."

Amelia, who was now falling asleep again, slowly brought her hand to his bicep and briefly squeezed it, before allowing the bruised limb to fall back towards her body. Daisy snuffled in her sleep and nuzzled her mother's shoulder, and as Raphael kept them held close, the baby wriggled a little so she could be against her father as well. Everyone was so tired after the ordeal of that morning, and Raphael wanted to let Amelia get some rest, even though the drive to their new home was only a short one.

"Raph?"

He looked down at his wife, who was now gazing up at him with heavy eyes. She was still so beautiful, even though she'd been battered and bruised horribly, and he couldn't help but smile as he looked into those stunning blue eyes of hers.

"Yeah, darlin'?"

"I love you, too." Amelia whispered softly, "You'll stay with me tonight, won't you?"

"Of course I will." Raphael replied, bringing his spare hand to tenderly stroke her hair.

"I'm scared." Amelia told him, her eyes glazing with the beginnings of tears, "I'm so scared..."

"Don't be." Raphael said quietly, his voice gruff as he continued to play with her hair, "I'm right here with you."

"Don't leave us..." Amelia breathed, her body trembling as one of the tears escaped onto her face, "Please, _please_ , don't leave us."

Raphael had been warned to expect some form of emotional meltdown due to the post-traumatic stress from the Foot clan attack. Donatello had told him that it took different people different amounts of time to actually release the pent up emotion caused by a traumatic event, and that he wouldn't be surprised if Amelia suffered from nightmares, as well as anxiety or panic attacks. Looking down at his terrified wife, Raphael gently hushed her and continued to stroke her hair lovingly. Other than to reassure her that he was going to be there to protect her, he had no idea what to do in this situation.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said sincerely, "You're both safe, I promise."

The remainder of the journey to the new lair was quiet, and when they arrived, Raphael carefully carried Amelia inside, where she was met by her family, who were anxious to see if she was alright. Daisy was taken from her by Splinter, so that Raphael could get the young woman cleaned up and into some clean clothes, but the large turtle found himself with a fight on his hands as Amelia became incredible distressed. Even though she was in no condition to actually get out of his arms to go to their baby, Raphael pinned her to his chest anyway just to stop her from hurting herself. He had no doubt that she'd feel a lot better once she was clean, even if getting clean meant having to be separated from their child.

April had run the bath while they were being brought from the lair, so Raphael wasted no time in taking Amelia to the upper floor, which he had to climb to, since there were no stairs yet. Donatello and Leonardo would be building those as soon as possible as well. Once in the bathroom, he sat Amelia on the floor next to the bath, and began to difficult task of undressing her while she consistently fought him, and pleaded to have her daughter with her. As he took off her shirt, he took a moment to examine the bruising on her torso, before he looked into her tearful, distressed eyes.

"Amelia, you can have Daisy with you as soon as you're cleaned up, okay?" He said quietly, continuing to remove her clothing, "I promise, you can have her soon, but I need to clean you up and wash your hair."

Once she was naked, he left her on the bathroom floor, since he had nowhere else to sit her for the time being, while he quickly took off his own gear, only to still as he heard a bang on the newly installed shutter. With the bandanna still on his head, he carefully walked over and slid it to the right to partially open it. He found Donatello standing there with Amelia's bag in his hand, and a rather weary expression on his face.

"You forgot these." He said quietly, passing his older brother the bag through the gap in the door before turning to go back to the ground floor to help the others.

"Thanks, Donnie." Raphael said with a smile, pushing the shutter closed again before looking back to see Amelia trying to get to her feet with great difficulty so that she could get into the bath, "Whoa, babe... Stop..."

He dropped the bag and rushed to her side, prying her from the edge of the bath to see her forehead shining with a thin layer of sweat from the exertion. She must've been in so much pain, he realised, as he saw her taking sharp, harsh breaths and he felt her trembling under his hands while he held her up from the hard edge of the tub. What the hell was she thinking? She was in no condition to be doing anything like this, not with her broken ribs and her bruising.

"Christ... You gotta let me help you, sweetheart." He told her, trying not to sound irritated while lifting her carefully into his arms as she groaned in pain, "You're not gonna be able to move much for a while, so just let us take care of you, okay?"

Amelia nodded and curled towards his chest, so he carefully supported her with one of his hulking arms before pulling his bandanna off of his head. He stepped into the relaxing, near-hot water, and he then carefully turned his wife in his arms and lowered himself into the tub with her held in his embrace. She hissed as her cuts made contact with the hot water, but after a brief moment of silence, she adjusted to the pain and let out a sigh, relaxing against her husband's plastron.

On the side of the bath, April had left a jug and some of Amelia's favourite shampoo, so that Raphael could wash her hair, so he carefully picked up the jug and filled it with the bath water, before gently tipping Amelia's head back, and then pouring the water over her, smoothing her hair back as carefully as he could without hurting her. He heard a pained gasp as his hand brushed over the bump and gash on her head, and he muttered a quiet apology into her ear as he continued to wet her hair.

They didn't say much to one another as he washed her hair for her, but it seemed that his presence was soothing enough for her at that time, and he enjoyed taking care of her for a change, rather than her running around after him and Daisy all the time. Once her hair and body were clean, Raphael lifted her out of the bath and sat her in his lap on the edge of the bath, carefully drying her with a clean towel from the large selection that April had picked up that afternoon.

He then tentatively brushed her hair, being mindful of the injuries to her head, before he then wrung her hair out into a towel and dried it the best he could. He brushed it again for her while she sat quietly against him, and then lifted her small frame, setting her on another towel which he'd laid out on the floor for her to sit on. He then busied himself with drying himself off, quickly dressed himself and then got her some clothes.

She could barely hold herself up, so leaving her on the edge of the large bath wasn't a good idea, which was why he'd placed her on the floor instead, even though he had no doubt that she was uncomfortable and in pain. He returned to her as quickly as he could with a pair of red pyjama bottoms with white polkadots on them, and a soft, white cotton camisole, which he eased her into with the utmost care, before he placed a pair of thick, dark red socks on her feet. He then scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom, easing his way down to the ground floor to put her on the medical bed, which now had fresh, clean bedding for her to lie in. Tucking the blankets around her, Raphael then went to get his daughter from his father, and he carefully placed the baby against her shoulder and chest, and it was only then that Amelia finally, truly relaxed.

"Stay with her, Raph." Leonardo said softly as he approached his younger brother, "We're gonna go back and salvage the living room furniture. Mikey apparently can't cope for the night without TV. In the meantime, April and Vern are gonna go and get some pizza."

"Okay." Raphael replied quietly, "See you later."

Leonardo nodded to him in acknowledgement and then turned to leave with the others, while Raphael went to grab one of the bottles of water that April had also picked up earlier in the day. He had no doubt that Amelia was hungry, and he had no doubt that she was probably thirsty. He returned to find the covers untucked from his wife's waist, and he saw her gently patting the space next to her for him to join her in the bed. It was sturdy enough to take his weight and Donatello's, so he was sure that it'd be fine for him to sit with his wife, after he lowered it to the floor.

"Do you want this?" He asked her, holding up the water.

"No, thanks." Amelia muttered, shaking her head, "Not right now. Just come and hold me... Please."

Raphael set the bottle down on the floor and then went to the medical bed. He found the lowering mechanism on the right side of it, grabbed the bar at the top of the headboard, and then he eased it down towards the floor slowly, so that he could climb into the bed beside his wife and daughter. With it being a tight fit, he scooted the two of them over so that Amelia was settled between his legs, leaning against his plastron. He grabbed a pillow from beside them and pushed her forward carefully so that he could slip it between them, vertically, to give her back some padding.

"There." He said softly, kissing her temple, "You comfortable?"

"Yeah." She whispered, leaning against him as she adjusted Daisy in her arms, who was snuggled up to her plushie, snuffling in her sleep again, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Raphael said softly, resting his head against hers as his arms encircled her and their child protectively, "The only thing I'm worried about right now is you and our baby, okay? You need to sleep."

"I don't want to." Amelia muttered, kissing Daisy's head, "I thought you were all dead, Raph... Every time I close my eyes all I can hear are those explosions, and you guys yelling, and fighting..."

"Babe..."

"And Daisy screaming..."

Raphael closed his eyes as he felt his wife trembling in his embrace. He knew she was upset, and he knew she was hurting. So, he steadily started to stroke her hand as he took it in his own, his thumb making soothing lines up and down her cut and bruised skin. He'd give anything to be able take the pain away from her, both emotional and physical, because seeing her like this was heartbreaking for him. She was such a strong woman. Such a strong, kind, gentle woman, and she didn't deserve to be hurting like this. All he could do at that moment was comfort her, so he kissed the top of her head as gently as he could, before he began to softly speak to her as she lay in his arms.

"It's okay. You're safe with me." He whispered to her, breathing in the scent of her freshly cleaned hair as the damp locks rested against his cheek, "It's alright."

Keeping Daisy cradled between them, the couple savoured the feeling of being back in one another's arms again, content to sit in silence as they waited for their family to return.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	19. Reflections

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! So, we've finally reached the last chapter of this fic. I'm actually quite sad about it because I felt like I've been on the journey with Raphael and Amelia through their relationship from the beginning to this point in time. I'm hoping to make a start on the next fic after Christmas, as my business is starting to get very busy with people ordering stuff as Christmas presents, so I won't have much time for anything, never mind writing. I also want to do the odd one shot over the Christmas period to get the ball rolling with that additional set of fics as well, so I'll be a busy bee. I'm going to do art where I can, particularly art for this fic, so if you want to check that out, stay tuned! I'm currently working on the third image in the photo album project, so I hope that some of you who've been enjoying this fic will check that out and I appreciate the support I'm getting with that so far.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Hi! Thanks again for reviewing! As for the future, there is a little hint in this chapter as to certain things you may get a glimpse of in the one-shot series. I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

 **felicia2235:** Hi! Thanks for the review! Uh, I guess I just decided to not include him in this fic. He will be appearing in two of the other fics' sequels though, so keep your eyes pealed for him :)

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're excited! And yes, it was a very good job that Donatello scouted somewhere else out beforehand. He's such a clever turtle :D I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** I know, hun! It feels like only yesterday that I started planning this and we started talking about it, so I'm just as stunned as you. Time seems to be flying these days. And yes, Amelia is way too stubborn for her own good. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

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 **~ Changes ~**

 **{ Chapter Nineteen: Reflections }**

 _ **Six Months Later**_

"Raph, you're gonna miss it!"

Raphael hurried back to the sitting area at the sound of his wife's panicked voice, and with a very proud grin, he knelt down in front of the newly upholstered couch as his daughter climbed to her feet and started toddling towards him slowly, her arms outstretched, and her tongue stuck out of her mouth as she concentrated on her daddy.

"Ba-Ba!"

With his grin broadening at the sound of her calling to him, Raphael held his hands out in front of him, his eyes wide as Daisy made it ever closer to him from the other side of the living area, where Amelia sat with her hands over her mouth in pure joy at the sight of their baby walking. April sat in an arm chair nearby, recording the event on her phone, while Daisy's uncles and grandfather watched in stunned silence.

After wobbling for a few moments, Daisy finally got to her father, who scooped her up with a deep chuckle before blowing raspberries on her plastron, while everyone else cheered for the nine month old baby, who started to laugh loudly at her father's antics. Raphael was so, so proud of her, and so was Amelia, since Daisy had been trying to get up and walk for a few weeks now. If he'd missed this, the large turtle would've been devastated.

"Atta girl!" He praised the baby with a beaming smile, setting her back on the floor next to the coffee table.

Daisy turned herself around and then pulled herself up using the coffee table, before making the journey back towards her mother, while everyone watched in stunned silence once again. She almost fell a few times, but as she reached Amelia's embrace, the blonde was almost reduced to tears of pure joy as her daughter flopped into her arms and snuggled up tightly to her, softly saying her name.

"Ma-Ma."

"Well done, baby!" Amelia praised her, beaming at Raphael who slowly made his way across the floor to join them near the television.

In six months, Amelia was very much back to her old self, and Daisy was growing more and more by the day. She was starting to talk, starting to walk, and she was even able to tell the adults around her if she was hungry, needed changing or if she wanted to play. Donatello said she was way ahead in her development, but that it was probably due to the mutagen that had been in Raphael's DNA when it was mixed with Amelia's to make Daisy in the first place. While she was close to all of the adults in her life, however, since the fateful day of the Foot clan's attack on the lair, Daisy's bond with Leonardo had grown ever stronger. Some days, she didn't want to be parted from him, which sometimes led to appalling temper tantrums. Nonetheless, Daisy was a joy to be around, and the family loved her more and more with each passing day. The mother and daughter had both healed from their injuries after the collapse, and after months of hard work, the new lair was finally starting to feel like a home.

Looking at his wife as she held their daughter in his arms, Raphael felt a pang in his heart. All those years ago, when he saved Amelia from the clutches of a rapist in that grotty New York subway underpass, he never imagined that their meeting could lead to anything like this. In a few short years, his life, and the lives of his friends and family had changed beyond comprehension, and for the most part, the changes had been positive ones.

Feeling a lump rise up in his throat, Raphael leaned forward, cupped his wife's cheek to catch her attention, and he leaned down to press a tender, loving kiss to her lips. The kiss lasted for a few moments, causing his family and friends to look away from the scene, while April kept her phone trained on the pair throughout. It would be a nice memory for them when they got older.

A loud squeak came from between them, and the couple broke apart to see their daughter wiggling against her mother, reaching desperately towards her father's neck. Raphael picked her up, set her in his arms, and allowed her to nibble on the tails of his bandanna, which had become quite the habit for her of late.

"Raph, we have to go."

Leonardo's voice cut through the quiet in the lair's living area, and Raphael, with a heaviness in his heart, kissed his wife's forehead, and then his daughter's, before handing the baby back to her mother. Amelia then stood to go and kiss and hug each of her brothers goodbye, allowing them to each give Daisy a kiss on the head, before April moved forward to say goodbye to them as well. Donatello practically had be dragged away from the young reporter, since finally, after months of dancing around each other, the two had begun a romantic relationship of their own, and the pair were quite inseparable.

Every time he left Amelia and Daisy behind, particularly after the Foot Clan attack, Raphael found it hard to get the horrid, sinking feeling out of his chest. He was always worried that something would happen while he wasn't there, or that they'd be hurt and he wouldn't be there to protect them. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he was surprised to see that it was Michelangelo, who had grown up a _lot_ in the past six months.

"Come on, man." He said with a grin, "Last one to the surface is turtle soup!"

Okay, so maybe he hadn't grown up _entirely_ , but he surely was a hell of a lot more mature and responsible than he'd been before. With a grin and a newfound energy, Raphael sprinted after his little brother, hearing the sounds of Donatello and Leonardo calling Michelangelo a cheater as he took out his newly upgraded skateboard, and sped off into the tunnels with a celebratory ' _Whoop!_ '

* * *

Amelia opened her eyes slowly to the sound of the turtles returning from their patrol. Exhausted, she eased herself out of bed and padded across her and Raphael's new bedroom in her bare feet, her dark pink pyjama bottoms swishing around her legs as she walked. Pulling her t-shirt around her hips, she followed the sound of her husband's hushed voice as it filtered through the hallway from their daughter's bedroom.

Poking her head around the door, she saw Raphael leaning over the baby's crib, lifting the sleeping child into his arms. This was something he did every night, now. He took Daisy from her crib, sat in a newly built rocking chair with her, and he rocked with her for a while, just to make sure he'd given her a goodnight cuddle. Amelia watched silently from the doorway, meeting eyes with her husband, who gave her a warm smile.

"Hi." She whispered, slowly stepping into the room, "How was patrol?"

"Fine." Raphael whispered back, cradling their little girl in his arms as he rocked with her, "You okay?"

"Fine." Amelia replied, leaning forward to kiss his head, "Just fine."

After a few moments of quiet, Raphael lifted Daisy up towards his shoulder and then got out of the chair before walking back towards her crib. Kissing her lovingly on her head, steadily set her down back in her crib and pulled the blankets over her sleeping form, before running his fingers over her head in a sweet, tender gesture.

"Goodnight, little flower." He whispered, "I love you."

Amelia whispered her own words of love to the baby and then took her husband by the arm, slowly leading him back to their room. They checked Daisy's nightlight to make sure it was on for her, before quietly closing the shutter that led to her room, and then they made their way to their own bedroom, hand in hand.

As soon as the door was closed, Amelia was met with Raphael's lips on hers, and as a surge of need overtook her body, she pressed as close to him as possible, wrapping her arms around his neck. They broke their passionate kiss with heavy breaths as they stared into each other's eyes, and Amelia was able to produce a breathtakingly sexy smirk as Raphael hoisted her up to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Miss me?" She asked him, arching her eyebrow playfully as he walked them towards their bed.

"You have no idea." Raphael murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed with her in his lap, "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Amelia whispered, bringing her forehead to his.

Almost five years had passed since they'd first met, and Amelia was still so stunned by how much her world had changed during that time. She'd gained a loving boyfriend, a unique family, and a new home. She'd then lost her birth father, her boyfriend had become her husband, and they'd had a baby. Then, they'd lost their home, and rebuilt somewhere new. Now, her husband was teaching her to fight so that she could defend herself and their baby if necessary.

She was like a new woman. Much stronger, bolder, braver and fiercer than she'd ever been. And it was all thanks to the beautiful man in front of her, the unique, mutated turtle who'd rescued her all those years ago in that grotty underpass, where most people would've probably just walked by and allowed her attacker to harm her. Her love for him, his family and their daughter was overwhelming, as was his love for her and their baby. Their relationship was stronger now than it had ever been, and they seemed to grow ever closer with each passing day.

Just as their lips were about to meet again in a loving kiss, a familiar wailing sound came through the baby monitor that was sitting on Amelia's bedside table. With a small laugh that they both shared, they opened their eyes to look at each other, before letting out half-hearted sighs.

"Come on." Amelia said softly, "I have no idea whose turn it is this time, so we'll go together."

Raphael chuckled and set his wife on her feet, before they set off once again, hand in hand, back to their daughter's nursery.

 **~ The End ~**

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 **A/N:** So, here we are. The fic is over, and it's been one hell of a ride, wouldn't you say? I really do hope that you've all enjoyed, and I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for your support, whether you've read this, favourited it, followed it, or reviewed it, or all four. I'd also like to thank _**The Silvernote**_ , because she has been an absolute rock for me when writing this. She listened to me go on about my ideas, she supported me and she even read the whole thing and reviewed it, not to mention the fact that she did the same for the first fic, **_Secrets_**. Thanks, hun! You're amazing!

Okay, so as for the poll, the votes have been counted, and these include PM and review votes as well, and I'm pleased to announce that I will be writing about our lovely tech genius, Donatello in his fic, _**Salvation**_.

 **Summary:** _Donatello has been trying to manage his depression effectively. Trying. But, when he finally gets the courage to meet his online friend, his life takes a path that he never imagined it would, and he finds something that he's wished for, for a long, long tim_ e.

Following Donatello's fic and sequel, I'll be writing Leonardo's, and then Michelangelo's, and I'll announce the names of those fics at a later date. Keep your eyes pealed for my one-shot series featuring Raphael, Amelia and Daisy, which I'll update when I can. Oh! And I'd just like to reiterate that these next OC fics are all completely separate from each other, so they're all set around the end of 2014, into early-mid 2015, and the boys will be either eighteen, nineteen or twenty in them. I will be doing a turtle/OC series which has sequels that bring in other OCs for each turtle, but there'll be a fic for the movies before then. It's very complicated, and there's a lot of work on my part but I'm excited for the challenge!

 **I hope you enjoyed this fic, guys! Thanks so much for reading, and I'll be back after Christmas!**

 **Much loves!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


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